New international standard raises limits on natural refrigerants for household heating and cooling equipment
By A new version of an IEC safety standard now enables manufacturers to use natural, climate-friendly refrigerants in room air conditioners. This change in the standard is a milestone on the journey to end the use of climate-detrimental F-gases in household heat pumps, air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
IEC 60335-2-40 is an international standard that contains safety requirements for electrical heat pumps, air-conditioners and dehumidifiers intended for household or similar use. A new version of the standard, which contains changes that help pave the way for sustainable and future-proof refrigeration technology, was recently up for vote. Together with our partners, ECOS has been campaigning in favour of the new version. In May 2022, the result has been finally announced, and the new version of the standard approved. It is excellent news for the climate.
Enabling the use of clean refrigerants in this type of appliance is very important. According to a report by the International Energy Agency, the total number of air conditioning units in use worldwide is expected to roughly triple by 2050. The IEC standard will likely set a precedent for other standards, which further amplifies its impact.
While the result of the vote is welcome, it should be noted that the standard was developed without the participation of civil society stakeholders. ECOS, however, worked to influence the outcome, inviting national standardisation bodies to cast a positive vote and approve the standard.
An ECOS position paper, calling on standardisers to issue a positive vote and explaining the reasons behind, can be found here.
