Honeywell announced it will partner with Trane Technologies to accelerate the transition to a next-generation refrigerant by field testing Honeywell’s Solstice® N41 (R-466A)-
Trane will deploy and test Solstice N41 at three customer locations in different parts of the United States as part of a one-year field trial. Trane is currently testing Solstice N41 at the Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) at the University of California, Davis, to evaluate its performance with a Trane rooftop HVAC unit used in light commercial applications. The trials will test compatibility with new equipment installations and retrofit conversions. Trane will closely monitor power and energy consumption and analyze the refrigerant characteristics to further assess Solstice N41 as a replacement for R-410A.
Trane has invested more than $500 million to identify new options of refrigerants to replace R-410A, says Randy Newton, vice president of engineering at Trane Technologies.
To date, Solstice N41 has undergone extensive analysis by over 15 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and leading compressor manufacturers. The product has accumulated more than 100,000 reliable hours in different applications like commercial air conditioning (variable refrigerant flow, rooftops) and residential air conditioning (unitary ducted equipment in the U.S.).
Honeywell is a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Solstice® and Genetron® brand names for a range of applications, including refrigeration and building and automobile air conditioning. Honeywell and its suppliers have completed a billion dollar investment program in research and development and new capacity based on Honeywell’s hydrofluorolefin technology.