A2L Refrigerants Are Changing HVAC. Get Ready.
The transition to A2L refrigerants reshapes design and compliance norms for HVAC installations. With Airzone controls, meeting new regulations is simple, safe, and hassle-free.
What Is the Refrigerant Transition?
The HVAC industry is shifting away from A1 refrigerants like R-410A to A2L refrigerants (such as R-32 and R-454B) due to new environmental and safety regulations. This shift is defined by standards like ASHRAE® 15, ASHRAE® 34, and CSA™ B52, impacting all refrigerant-based installations, especially HVAC systems.
Why Is This Transition Happening?
The HVAC industry is shifting toward A2L refrigerants in response to stricter environmental regulations. While mildly flammable, A2Ls are significantly more eco-friendly and align with global climate goals. They offer:
Lower Global Warming Potential (GWP)
Lower Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP)
Who Is Affected and How?
Installers, Contractors, and Technicians
The shift to A2L refrigerants doesn’t change what your clients expect, but it changes how you can deliver it. That means adopting a new technology, but also finding new zoning and connectivity solutions that are A2L compatible, without adding complexity to your projects.
Engineers, Architects, and Specifiers
This transition directly impacts HVAC systems design. You’ll need to use smaller units to reduce refrigerant charge, redesign piping layouts to make them shorter, and meet stricter safety regulations.
How Does Airzone Help with A2L Compliance?
Airzone reduces refrigerant volume, simplifying compliance with ASHRAE 15 A2L requirements:
Optimized Application Design
Airzone’s full range of zoning and integration solutions is fully compatible with AC units using A2L refrigerants. Whether you're working with ducted or ductless units, our technology ensures seamless communication and reliable control with A2L equipment.
Fewer Units, Less Piping
By enabling precise zoning, Airzone allows the same space to be air conditioned with fewer AC units. This reduces the amount of piping required, minimizing potential leakage points and installation complexity.
Reduced Refrigerant Concentration
Airzone’s zoning solutions use ducted units to air condition multiple zones from a single unit. Ceiling plenums are factored into ASHRAE 15 refrigerant concentration calculations, increasing the effective room volume.
Fully A2L-Compatible Product Range
Unlike traditional AC units, A2L units use manufacturer specific communication protocols. Airzone products are designed to communicate using these protocols, making them the easiest way to begin your journey into A2L compatible HVAC control.
Compare for Yourself: Conventional VRF vs. Airzone Zoning Solution
See how switching from a conventional VRF installation to Airzone’s zoning solution impacts your project’s compliance.
Without Airzone
A traditional VRF system requires more indoor units, longer piping, and higher refrigerant charge, which increases the risk of exceeding safety thresholds and makes compliance with ASHRAE 15 refrigerant concentration limits harder to achieve.
With Airzone
Airzone’s zoning solution simplifies your design by using fewer indoor units to serve multiple zones, reducing piping and cutting the total refrigerant charge. The result? Lower refrigerant concentration levels and easier compliance with A2L safety standards, while maintaining full comfort and zone control.
Find the full report
Discover Our A2L-Compliant Zoning Systems
Airzone offers two zoning solutions engineered for full A2L compliance. Whether your project requires a centralized plug & play zoning system or a fully scalable distributed damper-based setup, both systems help reduce refrigerant charge, streamline installation, and give you full control over every zone.
Sequence of Operations
Airzone zoning systems are designed to receive refrigerant leak detection signals and respond with a sequence of operations that ensures safe, reliable, and ASHRAE 15 compliant installations. By interlocking multiple zones, the system increases the total connected space into which refrigerant could leak, helping meet ASHRAE 15 Refrigerant Concentration Limits (RCL).
Other A2L Compatible Products
Need control and integration for just one zone? Airzone offers a complete range of A2L compatible devices designed for individual HVAC units. With Aidoo you can:
Integrate AC control into BMS and Home Automation systems using both open and closed protocols.
Make the AC unit compatible with a smart thermostat.
Add wireless control from the Airzone Cloud App.
Request your A2L compliance consultation:
Fill out the form to receive your A2L compliance consultation details.