The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has officially published details about the California Cooling Act, which will take effect on January 1, 2019. The Act, which is based on vacated EPA SNAP Rule 20, prohibits HFC refrigerants with high global warming potential (GWP)—such as R-404A and R-507A—for supermarket systems, condensing units, and self-contained units.

The California Cooling Act affects new and retrofit equipment. Manufacturers cannot sell equipment using prohibited refrigerants that are manufactured after January 1, 2019.

CARB Definition for New Refrigeration Equipment:

  1. Any refrigeration equipment that is first installed using new or used components; or
  2. Any refrigeration equipment that is modified such that it is:
    1. Expanded after the date at which this subarticle becomes effective, to handle an expanded cooling load by the addition of components in which the capacity of the system is increased, including refrigerant lines, evaporators, compressors, condensers, and other components; or
    2. Replaced or cumulatively replaced after the date at which this subarticle becomes effective, such that the capital cost of replacing or cumulatively replacing components exceeds 50 percent of the capital cost of replacing the entire refrigeration system.

If the retailer or engineer is unsure whether the work will classify as a new system, they should contact the Refrigerant Management Program Hotline at 916-324-2517 or rmp@arb.ca.gov.

Additional Reading:

Refer to the following for more information about California’s regulations or the EPA regulations that affect the rest of the country:

For further information, contact Zero Zone at 800-247-4496 and ask for our Department of Regulatory Compliance and Refrigeration Technology. This message is informational only, and customers should review the new regulations fully to ensure compliance.