California Air Resources Board

Air-conditioning (AC) Equipment is subject to the regulation, Prohibitions on Use of Certain Hydrofluorocarbons in Stationary Refrigeration, Stationary Air-conditioning, and Other End-Uses (HFC Regulation).

"Air-conditioning (AC) Equipment” or “Air-conditioning System” means equipment that cools, heats or dehumidifies spaces in residential or non-residential settings for comfort cooling and other purposes, including, but not limited to, room air conditioning such as window units, packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs), packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHPs), residential dehumidifiers, and portable air conditioners; ducted central air conditioners and heat pumps; non-ducted air conditioners and heat pumps (both mini- and multi-splits); packaged rooftop units; water-source and ground-source heat pumps; and other dehumidifiers. “Air-conditioning equipment” also includes computer room and data center cooling and remote condensing units for comfort cooling applications. Chillers are defined separately from “air-conditioning equipment.” “Air-conditioning equipment” refers to stationary air-conditioning equipment and does not include mobile air-conditioning equipment, including that used in vehicles, rail and trains, buses, aircraft, watercraft, recreational vehicles, recreational trailers, and campers.

“Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) System” or “Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) System” means an engineered direct expansion (DX) multi-split system incorporating the following: a split system air-conditioner or heat pump incorporating a single refrigerant circuit that is a common piping network to two or more indoor evaporators each capable of independent control, or compressor units. “VRF systems” contain a single module outdoor unit or combined module outdoor units with at least one variable capacity compressor that has three or more stages, with air or water as the heat source.

AC and VRF equipment are subject to the prohibitions under Section 95374 Table 3 and all of the prohibitions, exceptions, and labeling and recordkeeping requirements under Section 95374 (c).

New AC and VRF equipment used for both residential and non-residential purposes must use refrigerants with a GWP less than 750. The effective date depends on the specific AC equipment category:

Please note that AC and VRF manufacturers are also subject to Section 95376, “Refrigerant Recovery, Reclaim, and Re-use Requirements,” or R4 Program.