World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Fridge maker Hisense opts for 1233zd(E)

Solstic-LBACHINA: Hisense is the latest Chinese fridge manufacturer to adopt the new low GWP insulation blowing agent 1233zd(E).

Sold by Honeywell as Solstice LBA, 1233zd(E) is a non-ozone-depleting gas that has an ultra-low global warming potential of 1, far lower than the current commonly-used blowing agent HFC-245fa.

Solstice LBA is non-flammable and boasts an 8-10% energy efficiency improvement compared with cyclopentane, which is flammable and widely used as a blowing agent in appliance insulation.

Hisense sells appliances globally under the Hisense and Hisense-Kelon brands.

Chinese manufacturers produce about 90-100 million refrigerator and freezers per year, more than half of the total number of refrigerators and freezers produced globally.

According to Honeywell, Solstice LBA is being adopted rapidly across the globe with, to date, nine residential and commercial appliance manufacturers having adopted the new blowing agent.

Solstice LBA is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Programme and is also registered under the European Union’s REACH program. It is not a volatile organic compound.

Honeywell’s new world-scale production capacity manufacturing plant for Solstice LBA started up in May 2014 in Louisiana, United States, to meet the rapid increase of global demand.

Related stories:

Haier to insulate with 1233zd(E) – September 19, 2014
USA: Chinese company Haier is the latest refrigerator manufacturer to adopt the new insulation blowing agent 1233zd(E). Read more…

Latest News

13th July 2026

R290 heat pump recalled due to safety concerns

FRANCE: An R290 monobloc heat pump is the subject of a recall in France due to fire or explosion concerns in the event of a refrigerant leak. 
12th July 2026

Carel acquires Danish dehumidification business

ITALY/DENMARK: Carel Industries has completed the €56.1m acquisition of Danish company Cotes, a supplier of adsorption dehumidification solutions. 
12th July 2026

Latest New York LD outbreak infects 56

USA: The Guggenheim Museum is one of 31 buildings with cooling towers that tested positive for the presence of legionella bacteria during New York City’s latest legionnaire’s disease outbreak. The outbreak in…
12th July 2026

MHI improves data centre cooling efficiency

JAPAN: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries claims to have demonstrated measurable improvement in data centre cooling energy consumption while maintaining stable operation. 
11th July 2026

EC calls on Greece to comply with F-gas regs

EUROPE: The European Commission has opened an infringement procedure against Greece for failing to comply with the F-gas regulations requiring mutual recognition of engineers’ F-gas certificates. Article 10(10) of the…
11th July 2026

Daikin collaborates on AC recycling

JAPAN: Daikin has entered into an agreement with Itochu Corporation to improve the recycling of commercial air conditioners and expand the use of recycled materials.