Regulators in Canada and the United States are out of sync in banning the R-410A refrigerant that’s currently a mainstay of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pump systems.

Climate, cost and capacity pose fuel-switching challenges for building owners looking to curb greenhouse gas emissions in line with Canada’s target for a 40 per cent reduction below 2005 levels by 2030.

Researchers and manufacturers have now done much of the work to prepare for the HFC phase-down, but codes and standards will need to catch up before a new generation of lower-GWP refrigerants can be used.