Energy Efficiency in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Sector
Refrigerants and substitutes
If you operate refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment, some of the refrigerants in it are already banned from import and others fall under a shrinking annual quota. Here you can see what replaces what, what the law requires, and who to turn to.
Operates at roughly 60% higher pressure than R-22 and therefore requires equipment designed for it. Dominant in split air conditioning from the 2000s onwards.
Split and multi-split air conditioning.
-
difluoromethane · GWP 675Split air conditioners and heat pumpsManual §2.5.2
-
low-GWP blend · GWP 466Split and multi air conditioningManual §2.5.2
-
low-GWP blend · GWP 698Unitary systemsManual §2.5.2
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
A near-azeotropic blend for low- and medium-temperature commercial refrigeration. It has the highest GWP of any refrigerant in wide use and is therefore first in line for replacement.
Commercial refrigeration and cold rooms.
-
blend · GWP 1,397Medium-temperature commercial refrigerationManual §2.5.2
-
propane · GWP 3Small plug-in cabinets and vending machinesManual §2.5.2
-
carbon dioxide · GWP 1Transcritical systems, supermarketsManual §2.5.2
-
low-GWP blend · GWP 146Low-temperature commercial refrigerationManual §2.5.2
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
The replacement for R-12 in display cabinets, chillers and mobile air conditioning. Requires polyol ester oil and must not be mixed with mineral oil.
Display cabinets, chillers, mobile air conditioning.
-
HFO · GWP 4Mobile air conditioningManual §2.5.2
-
HFO · GWP 7Centrifugal chillersManual §2.5.2
-
blend · GWP 631Chillers — transitional optionManual §2.5.2
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
Introduced as a transitional replacement for R-22 in existing equipment. It has a pronounced temperature glide, so charging requires care and must always be done in the liquid phase.
Was used as a replacement for R-22.
-
difluoromethane · GWP 675Split air conditionersManual §2.5.2
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
Azeotropic, so it has no temperature glide. Used alongside R-404A in low-temperature refrigeration and has a similarly very high GWP.
Low-temperature refrigeration.
-
blend · GWP 1,387Low-temperature refrigerationManual §2.5.2
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
A long-standing standard in air conditioning and commercial refrigeration. Works with mineral oil, which made component replacement easier, but it contains chlorine and is therefore being phased out.
Complete phase-out foreseen by 2028. Import of equipment containing it has been banned since 2012.
-
propane · GWP 3Small self-contained systems — when replacing equipmentsupplemented, to be confirmed
-
difluoromethane · GWP 675Split air conditioning — when replacing equipmentsupplemented, to be confirmed
Replacement must be carried out by a certified technician. Class A2L and A3 refrigerants are flammable and require specific installation conditions.
Full list of refrigerants
Banned 3 Phase-out 3 Under quota 5 Approved 17
| Code | Name | Family | GWP | ODP | Class | Boiling | Composition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-22 | HCFC-22 | HCFC | 1,810 | 0.06 | A1 | -40.8 °C | single-component HCFC | Phase-out |
| R-404A | HFC blend | HFC | 3,922 | 0 | A1 | -46.5 °C | blend: R-125 / R-143a / R-134a | Under quota |
| R-410A | HFC blend | HFC | 2,088 | 0 | A1 | -51.4 °C | blend: R-32 / R-125 | Under quota |
| R-134a | HFC-134a | HFC | 1,430 | 0 | A1 | -26.1 °C | single-component HFC | Under quota |
| R-407C | HFC blend | HFC | 1,774 | 0 | A1 | -43.6 °C | blend: R-32 / R-125 / R-134a | Under quota |
| R-507A | HFC blend | HFC | 3,985 | 0 | A1 | -47.1 °C | azeotropic blend: R-125 / R-143a | Under quota |
| R-32 | difluoromethane | HFC | 675 | 0 | A2L | -51.7 °C | single-component HFC | Approved |
| R-454B | low-GWP blend | HFO/HFC | 466 | 0 | A2L | -50.9 °C | blend: R-32 / R-1234yf | Approved |
| R-452B | low-GWP blend | HFO/HFC | 698 | 0 | A2L | -51.0 °C | blend: R-32 / R-125 / R-1234yf | Approved |
| R-449A | blend | HFC | 1,397 | 0 | A1 | -46.0 °C | blend: R-32 / R-125 / R-1234yf / R-134a | Approved |
| R-448A | blend | HFC | 1,387 | 0 | A1 | -45.9 °C | blend: R-32 / R-125 / R-1234yf / R-1234ze / R-134a | Approved |
| R-455A | low-GWP blend | HFO/HFC | 146 | 0 | A2L | -51.6 °C | blend: CO₂ / R-32 / R-1234yf | Approved |
| R-513A | blend | HFO/HFC | 631 | 0 | A1 | -29.2 °C | azeotropic blend: R-1234yf / R-134a | Approved |
| R-1234yf | HFO | HFO | 4 | 0 | A2L | -29.5 °C | single-component HFO | Approved |
| R-1234ze(E) | HFO | HFO | 7 | 0 | A2L | -19.0 °C | single-component HFO | Approved |
| R-290 | propane | natural | 3 | 0 | A3 | -42.1 °C | propane, C₃H₈ | Approved |
| R-600a | isobutane | natural | 3 | 0 | A3 | -11.7 °C | isobutane, C₄H₁₀ | Approved |
| R-744 | carbon dioxide | natural | 1 | 0 | A1 | -78.4 °C | carbon dioxide, CO₂ | Approved |
| R-717 | ammonia | natural | 0 | 0 | B2L | -33.3 °C | ammonia, NH₃ | Approved |
| R-152a | HFC-152a | HFC | 124 | 0 | A2 | -24.0 °C | single-component HFC | Approved |
| R-11 | trichlorofluoromethane | CFC | 4,750 | 1 | A1 | 23.8 °C | CFC-11, trichlorofluoromethane | Banned |
| R-12 | dichlorodifluoromethane | CFC | 10,900 | 1 | A1 | -29.8 °C | CFC-12, dichlorodifluoromethane | Banned |
| R-113 | trichlorotrifluoroethane | CFC | 6,130 | 0.80 | A1 | 47.6 °C | CFC-113, trichlorotrifluoroethane | Banned |
| R-123 | dichlorotrifluoroethane | HCFC | 77 | 0.02 | B1 | 27.8 °C | HCFC-123, dichlorotrifluoroethane | Phase-out |
| R-124 | chlorotetrafluoroethane | HCFC | 609 | 0.02 | A1 | -12.0 °C | HCFC-124, chlorotetrafluoroethane | Phase-out |
| R-454A | low-GWP blend | HFO/HFC | 238 | 0 | A2L | -48.6 °C | blend: R-32 / R-1234yf | Approved |
| R-454C | low-GWP blend | HFO/HFC | 148 | 0 | A2L | -45.6 °C | blend: R-32 / R-1234yf | Approved |
| R-1270 | propylene | natural | 2 | 0 | A3 | -47.6 °C | propylene, C₃H₆ | Approved |
All GWP values follow AR4. Source: Manual on energy efficiency of RAC systems, May 2026.