The video opens with a person drawing the words "Energy.gov Presents… Phasing Down Hydrofluorocarbons" on a whiteboard. This artist illustrates the concepts that the narrator describes in the video.
U.S. buildings consume more than 38 quads of energy a year. That’s more than 40% of the nation’s total energy demand.
Nearly half of this energy is used for heating and cooling our homes and refrigeration. Most systems rely on vapor compression and liquid refrigerants to make this happen.
The most common refrigerants contain hydrofluorocarbons. These gases are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide when released into the atmosphere. Fluorinated gases are growing worldwide as developing nations seek relief from high heat and humidity.
If we don’t act now, HFCs could grow by 450% from 2010 levels. That’s why world leaders recently signed an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down fluorinated gases. By 2036, HFCs will be just 15% of what they are today in the United States.
To help with this effort, the energy department is finding new alternatives to HFCs that also boost efficiency in today’s equipment. It’s also working on new technologies such as magnetocarloric cooling to eventually replace refrigerant-based vapor compression all together.
To learn more about our efforts, log on to our website, energy.gov.
Illustrations by Sarah Wagoner.