Environment

Trane considers the overall impact on the environment, taking both Ozone Depletion (ODP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) into consideration. That dictates our preference for low-pressure, high-efficiency refrigerant—specifically, R123 / R514A / R1233zd.

Low pressure makes R123 refrigerant far less likely to leak from the system. And as long as the refrigerant stays in the system, it can’t harm the environment. In fact, Trane guarantees a leakage rate of less than 0.5 percent per year for our CenTraVac® centrifugal chillers, which is a fraction of federal allowable limits in the United States.

Chillers that use R123 / R514A / R1233zd are capable of achieving the HVAC industry’s highest levels of efficiency; they require a lower volume of refrigerant to operate, and consume less energy to cool. Energy use is a key factor in a chiller’s environmental impact: 95 percent of a typical chiller’s global warming potential is attributable to the CO2 emissions from the power plant that generates the electricity to run the chiller. Therefore, a more efficient chiller reduces energy use, which leads to the indirect benefit of less CO2 emissions from power plants.

With the transition to lower-GWP refrigerant options, flammability has emerged as a new variable for consideration, especially in higher operating pressures. Trane is committed to offering non-flammable solutions whenever possible, and the lowest possible flammability when slightly flammable solutions are required.