Blogs

New York Department of Environmental Conservation Update

New York State adopted new refrigerant rules (Part 494) targeting high-GWP refrigerants. These rules may have an impact on refrigeration equipment, the refrigerants that can be used, and the timing of what can be installed in the state.

New York is eliminating high-GWP refrigerants

New York State uses GWP₂₀ (20-year Global Warming Potential), which is different than the federal EPA’s GWP₁₀₀ scale. While GWP₂₀ assigns higher numeric values to many HFCs, the state adjusted its regulatory thresholds, so they roughly align with EPA GWP₁₀₀ limits. As a result, the intent was not to accelerate the phaseout timeline relative to federal rules, but to enable the transition to lower-GWP refrigerants while still emphasizing near-term climate impacts.

Although the federal EPA regulations have a low-enforcement period for some high-GWP refrigerants, New York’s rules override and take precedence within the state.

Understanding GWP

Global Warming Potential, or GWP, is a unitless measure of how much heat a gas traps in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide, which is the baseline and has a GWP of 1 across all time horizons. Some refrigerants break down quickly while others persist for decades, so their GWP values change depending on how long they remain in the atmosphere. As a result, GWP₂₀ values are significantly higher than GWP₁₀₀ values because they capture the stronger short-term warming impact of many refrigerants over 20 years rather than spreading that impact over a 100year period.

New York Part 494 Impact on Zero Zone Merchandisers & System Designs

Key Takeaways from New York Part 494

New Zero Zone Hybrid™ Merchandisers cannot be installed in New York.
The sale and installation of the Zero Zone Guardian® Merchandiser is permitted.

Effective for installation of equipment after January 1, 2026

New refrigeration facilities include:
- Retail Food Facilities
- Cold Storage Warehouses
- Industrial Process Refrigeration
- Ice Rinks
Facilities with a total refrigerant charge greater than 200 lbs
- GWP₂₀ limit of 10
Facilities with a total refrigerant charge greater than 50 lbs and less than 200 lbs
- GWP₂₀ limit of 580
Facilities with total refrigerant charge less than 50 lbs
- GWP₂₀ limit of 943

Refrigerant Management Program

Owners and operators of refrigeration equipment in New York must register their equipment with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Registration deadlines are based on the charge size of the system.

Equipment Registration Rules
- June 1, 2025: systems with 1,500 lbs refrigerant charge
- June 1, 2026: systems with 200-1,499 lbs refrigerant charge
- June 1, 2028: systems with 50-199 lbs refrigerant charge

Virgin vs. Reclaimed Refrigerants

New York’s Part 494 regulation places strict limits on virgin (newly produced) high GWP refrigerants, including a prohibition on the manufacture, sale, distribution, or purchase of virgin refrigerants with a GWP₁₀₀ greater than 2,200 beginning January 9, 2025. However, the regulation does not distinguish between virgin and reclaimed refrigerants, and reclaimed products are not explicitly exempted from these restrictions. This lack of clarity may create challenges for customers who rely on reclaimed refrigerant for leak replacement or ongoing system service until the DEC provides additional clarification or updates the rule.

Download the Part 494/495 fact sheet or contact Zero Zone for more information.

Need Help Navigating these Changes?

Zero Zone is here to answer questions you may have about state and federal refrigeration regulations. If you have any questions about compliance, refrigeration equipment options, refrigerant transitions, or how these rules impact you, please contact your Zero Zone Sales Representative or call 1-800-247-4496.