AHRI, the US Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, has launched a research programme to identify and evaluate the application of low GWP alternative refrigerants.
The programme aims to assess the industry's response to environmental challenges raised by the use of high GWP refrigerants and to assist industry research to avoid a duplication of work.

Karim Amrane, AHRI vice president of regulatory affairs and research said: 'The intent of the programme is to help industry select the most promising refrigerants, understand technical challenges, and identify the research needed to use these refrigerants,' he added. 'The programme will not prioritise these alternatives; rather, it will identify potential refrigerants replacements for high GWP HFCs, and present the performance of these replacements in a consistent and standard manner.'

The programme will consist of compressor calorimeter testing, system drop-in testing, soft-optimised system testing, and heat transfer testing.

Tests are expected to begin in July.