R-22 is an ozone-depleting substance that is extensively used in the HVAC industry. In fact, the Montreal Protocol was signed by 197 countries in 1987 in order to phase out the use of substances such as R-22 – which are damaging the ozone layer of earth. The R-22 phasing out process began in 2004 and is scheduled to be completed by the year of 2020. Even though the scientific community was able to develop a few alternatives to R-22, none of these alternative refrigerants were able to prove their efficiency in energy consumption. It is true that these alternative substances don’t damage the ozone layer of planet earth. But they will increase the electricity consumption in the process.
HVAC systems worldwide consume more than 40% of all electricity used. But electricity accounts for more than 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. alone. Hence, these alternative refrigerants are not that viable in finding an effective solution to R-22 while it is being phased out at the moment. That is where TdX 20 from Bluon Energy comes in handy. This article provides an overview of TdX 20 and Bluon Energy.
Peter Capuciati – a physicist and co-founder of Bluon Energy – is in the forefront of introducing an efficient alternative refrigerant gas to R-22. In fact, he and his team have spent more than seven years finding a solution to overcome the limitations of HVAC efficiency. The replacement refrigerants that are currently promoted don’t deplete the ozone layer of the earth, but they will reduce the efficiency of the HVAC systems and increase the electricity consumption in the process. In fact, they will increase the energy consumption of HVAC units by at least 5-30% depending on the unit. This will damage the environment by increasing greenhouse gases. The whole idea of phasing out R-22 is to have an environmental benefit. But this idea is actually backfiring in the sense that these replacements are having a negative impact on the planet by increasing the energy consumption of the HVAC systems. That is where Bluon’s TdX 20 – the latest refrigerant on the market – comes in handy.
After so many years of research, Bluon was able to come out with a winning formula. This refrigerant is known as TdX 20 and is capable of reducing the energy consumption of HVAC system by at least 5-25% depending on the HVAC unit. This product was able to achieve these results by transporting more heat at a lower pressure – which helps maximize the use of the coil in the HVAC system and minimizing system losses that are inherent to HVAC systems. In fact, Bluon tried hundreds of formulas on different HVAC systems in the field and laboratory before they came up with this winning formula. After about three years of extensive research in the industry, Bluon Energy was able to discover something unexpected. The team found out that if they were able to stack more than five refrigerants on top of each other – enabling the refrigerants to vaporize in sequence – a domino effect would occur. This would result in more productivity from the coil of the HVAC unit and less load on the compressor of the unit. This helped lower the consumption of electricity. That is how TdX 20 was born.
TDX 20 vs R20 Refrigerant
TdX 20 was able to clear all the regulatory hurdles by September 2016. In fact, the refrigerant cleared all the hurdles at the EPA and other permitting agencies in order to receive its official ASHRAE designation R-458A – which is the final step that was needed to enter the marketplace. The timing is perfect since the phasing out of R-22 is closing up and new supply rapidly is drying up. Due to the deadline of 2020, the price of R-22 has almost quadrupled during the past couple of years. In fact, suppliers who have been stocking the refrigerant are taking advantage of the supply-demand equation in order to unnecessarily jack up the price of R-22 refrigerant. A pound of R-22 is priced at $25 right now and is poised to reach $40 within the next few months.
On the other hand, the increased production of TdX 20 has brought down its price to $13 per wholesale pound. Bluon TdX 20 comes with many advantages compared to R-22 and all of the other alternative refrigerants. In fact, all HVAC systems work by changing a liquid refrigerant to gas and back again to liquid. It absorbs and dispels heat in the process. TdX 20 takes this liquid-to-gas phase change to a new level. There are 5 different refrigerants in TdX 20 that phase change in a carefully orchestrated sequence. Heat is absorbed across a vast area of the coil – which improves the overall heat transfer in the unit. That way the workload of the compressor is reduced – which results in a less amp draw as well as lower compressor head temperature. The stability of the compressor is improved in the process. This will result in less vibration and noise as well as a more stable amp draw.
Why replace your HVAC system?
Replacing the HVAC systems with modern equipment on a 100,000-square-foot commercial building will cost approximately $1 million. In comparison, replacing the existing refrigerant with TdX 20 will cost only $45,000. On the other hand, the resulting energy saving will pay for such an investment within one to three years time – depending on the HVAC systems, building, and electricity costs. That is why you need to consider replacing R-22 refrigerant with Bluon Energy’s TdX 20 – the latest energy-efficient HVAC refrigerant on the market.
Bluons’ list of clients is growing at a steady pace during the short existence of the company. Major energy management, real estate, corporations, and healthcare institutions in the United States are becoming clients of Bluon Energy. The company now offers to R-22 with TdX 20 any time they are able to work on a client’s HVAC system for maintenance or repairs.
The aforementioned article provides a comprehensive overview of TdX 20 and Bluon Energy.
