Best operational choice
1. No EPA or OSHA record-keeping or reporting is required to operate a COâ‚‚ heat pump.
2. Easier to handle and safer for technicians since COâ‚‚ is non-flammable and non-toxic.
3. A single COâ‚‚ heat pump can replace an HVAC system comprising chillers, cooling towers, boilers, coolers and freezers all while using thinner gauge piping. As a result, they are less complex to install and operate than conventional systems, saving both time and money.
4. COâ‚‚ is proven as a refrigerant with over 80,000 installations worldwide. There are approximately 60,000 trans-critical COâ‚‚ systems operating in Europe and 7,000 in Japan. The North American market’s installed base is about 3,000 and growing fast.
Most efficient choice
5. COâ‚‚ operates efficiently in a wider range of ambient temperatures than heat pumps and refrigeration systems using synthetic refrigerants. This means that COâ‚‚ will be your most efficient heat pump system in most climates in North America.
6. COâ‚‚ heat pumps are the most efficient way to decarbonize buildings. Only COâ‚‚ can deliver 180F/82C degree hot water as well as simultaneous heating and cooling at ultra-high efficiencies (attaining COPs exceeding 7).
7. COâ‚‚ heat pumps generate the best return on investment based on lower installation costs, energy savings and a reduction in the cost of maintenance and refrigerants. The difference in the price of refrigerants is expected to become even more pronounced as synthetic refrigerants become more expensive as new regulations throttle production by way of phase-outs.
Best environmental choice
8. Synthetic refrigerants leak into the environment as greenhouse gasses and are major contributors to global warming. Replacing them with CO2 heat pump systems reduces the carbon footprint of any building. To illustrate, while COâ‚‚ (R-744) has a GWP of 1, the GWP of well-used synthetic alternatives are here.
9. COâ‚‚ heat pumps also avoid creating the PFASs (forever chemicals) that the EPA, the EU and other global regulatory agencies conclude are contaminating water and poisoning animal life, including humans. Regulators in the EU are considering a phase out of HFOs and HFC refrigerants due to the growing body of evidence that PFAS impose a high cost on EU health systems (estimated at $55-80 billion annually).
10. COâ‚‚ conserves water resources too. By using a vapor only gas cooler system, a 70% reduction in water use is possible versus traditional water towers.