Most US sales of ducted AC units now A2L
11th June 2025
USA: Reports from distributors suggest the USA has reached a significant milestone in its transition to lower GWP refrigerants with sales of A2L equipment surpassing 50%.
According to the latest market report from Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI), central ducted HVAC systems using A2L refrigerants accounted for 51% of sales in April, with preliminary May data indicating further growth to 60%.
HARDI’s Unitary Market Intelligence Report uses automated submissions of distributor sales data to model the national, regional, and state-level HVAC market. HARDI maintains that the transition has accelerated since November 2024, when A2L-based equipment made up less than 5% of the market.
“This milestone confirms that the industry is embracing the new A2L refrigerants,” said CEO Talbot Gee. “Despite facing price volatility and ongoing shortages of R454B cylinders, distributors and contractors are adopting the next generation of HVAC systems at a rate no one anticipated.”
However, even with rapid adoption, HARDI says the transition has been complicated by a rule from the Environmental Protection Agency that links compliance deadlines to installation dates instead of the date of manufacture or import.
“This regulatory structure unnecessarily burdens distributors unable to sell their R410A inventory, adding unwanted complexity, inefficiency, and risk to the supply chain,” HARDI said.
“This installation date requirement is bad policy,” added Alex Ayers, HARDI’s vice president of government affairs. “It creates significant uncertainty for businesses without delivering any additional environmental benefit. We urge Congress to ensure that future regulations avoid this flawed approach. No agency should be able to punish businesses over political pressure from outside groups.”
HARDI announced sales increases of 7.4% in March and 6.8% in April based on reports from its near 500 member companies. Annual sales for the 12 months through April 2025 were up 4.0%.
