Board California's Regulatory Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions fromMobile Air Conditioning

1. MAC and Environment: India Policy Workshop on the
status of MAC Replacement Technologies
New Delhi, India, June 7-8, 2010
California‟s Regulatory Efforts to Reduce
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from
Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC)
California Air Resources Board
1

2. Overview
• Background
• Proposed California MAC regulations
• California mitigation program for stationary
refrigeration
2

3. California 2006 GHG Emissions
(480 MMTCO2E)
Transportation
40%
Other High GWP
1%
Electricity (In State)
12% Other HFC-134a
High GWP
1%
3%
Electricity (Imports)
10%
Mobile HFC-134a
Industrial
Residential 1%
21%
6%
Commercial California new car sales:
3%
~ 1.5 million/yr (~ 9% of US total)
Agriculture & Forestry
5%
3

4. Global Benefit from HFC-134a Phaseout
in Mobile Air Conditioning
400
BAU
Global Emissions (MMTCO 2 E/year)
350 US & EU HFC Phase-out
Global HFC Phase-out
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
2015 2020 2025 2030
Year 4

5. MAC Refrigerant Mass Balance
Mass in = Mass out
Initial OEM charge
in new vehicle System leak
System accidental
breach
End of Life
Re-charge:
1) Professional servicing Servicing leak
2) Do-it-yourself
Container heel
To MVAC To environment Not addressed
5

6. California Strategies to Reduce MAC
Emissions
New vehicles In-Use Fleet End-of-Life
Vehicle GHG Emissions Regulation on small Enforce federal “no
Standard (AB 1493) cans of HFC-134a venting” rule for
(2004) for Do-it-yourselfers HFCs
(2009)
Environmental
Performance Label Decommissioned
Include AC leak test refrigerated
(2007)
& repair in I&M shipping containers
Program
Low-Emission Vehicle (Smog Check)
Standard, LEV III
(2010)
Requirements for
professional Adopted
HD and off-road fleet
servicing
(Under development Proposed
by US EPA)
Planned 6

7. Evolution of Regulations
2009 2012 2017
MY MY MY
CA AB 1493 LEV III
MAC improvement earns a credit for Mandatory:
GHG emissions
• Low GWP refrigerant
• Low leak
• Indirect emissions limit
New Federal Rule to
US EPA Federal Rule Align with LEV III?
Similar to California AB 1493
approach (credit method) via
the „Rose Garden
Agreement‟
7

8. LEV III MAC Requirement 1:
GWP ≤ 150 (100% for 2017 MY)
• Provides a nearly 90% direct emission reduction
• Industry can choose from 3 SNAP approved
refrigerants (HFC-152a, R744, and HFO-1234yf)
• Movement toward use of low-GWP refrigerant
• Harmonizes with EU
8

9. LEV III AC Requirement 2:
Fleet Average Leak Rate ≤ 9 g/yr
• Low leak rate is important to maintain efficiency
and reduce maintenance costs
• Leak rate is evaluated using SAE J2727-type
standards for AC using low-GWP refrigerants
• 9 g/yr (refrigerant) is achievable
– 18 g/yr per US EPA, 50% reduction feasible per I-MAC
– Commercially available AC platforms using premium
technologies can achieve 9 g/yr, per Pavley/EPL AC
certification
– Industry moving toward use of better technologies
– Electric compressor market share will likely grow (with growth
of hybrid/electric vehicles), thus further lower leakage
9

10. LEV III MAC Requirement 3:
Indirect Emissions Standard
• ARB is proposing to develop a fleet average AC
indirect emissions standard
– Evaluate through a Whole-Vehicle Performance Test Procedure
• ARB will propose initial adoption of US EPA‟s Idle
Test procedure and AC Efficiency Credits scheme as
a placeholder
– Amend the regulation after developing a performance test
procedure and AC indirect emissions standard in 2012
• Performance test benefits
– Able to evaluate all current and new technologies under realistic
solar load and driving conditions
– Enforceable
10

11. LEV III MAC Requirement 3 (Cont.):
Proposed Performance Test Procedure
• Elements of proposed test procedure:
– Simulate solar load (e.g., 1-2 hour soak at 850 W m-2)
– Moderate ambient cell conditions (e.g., 25⁰C, 50% RH)
– Transient test cycle (e.g., SC03)
– Evaluate AC during both initial cool down and steady state
temperature control
• Difference between CO2 from AC-off cycle and CO2
from the weighted average of AC-on cycles (cool
down and steady state) must be  the standard
SC03 Driving Cycle 11

12. Measures for Stationary Refrigeration
• Refrigerant Management Program
– Expands U.S. EPA Section 608 rules to
include HFCs for stationary sources
• Specifications for New Commercial
Refrigeration Systems
– Develop California Building Standards for
new commercial refrigeration systems to
reduce the overall GHG impact due to
refrigerant leaks and energy use
• Residential Refrigeration Program
– Increase comprehensive recycling of
residential refrigerator-freezers to recover
both refrigerant and foam expansion
agent
12

13. Summary
• California developed first comprehensive MAC
regulation to address both direct GHG emissions
and MAC fuel efficiency
• Global GHG emissions will continue to increase
due to expanding market in developing countries.
ARB continues to show leadership to mitigate
GHG emissions, but needs international
involvement to accomplish the greatest reduction
• ARB staff can provide assistance to other
countries, based on our experience
13

14. ARB Contact
Dr. Tao Huai
Manager, Climate Change Mitigation and Emissions
Research Section, Research Division
California Air Resources Board
California Environmental Protection Agency
thuai@arb.ca.gov
(916) 324-2981
More about the topic:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/hfc-mac/hfc-mac.htm
14