R-32 is a next generation refrigerant that efficiently carries heat and has lower environmental impact. Refrigerant is a medium for conveying heat.

Air conditioners transfer heat while circulating refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor units.

Although there are various types of refrigerants, R-32 is a new refrigerant currently receiving the most interest. Because R-32 efficiently conveys heat, it can reduce electricity consumption up to approximately 10% compared to air conditioners that using refrigerant R-22. Furthermore, compared to the refrigerants widely used today such as R-22 and R-410A, R-32 has a global warming potential (GWP) that is one-third lower and is remarkable for its low environmental impact.

Various refrigerants have been used in air conditioners until now. Regulations have increasingly become stricter from greater consideration for the global environment because of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, resulting in a shift to refrigerants with even lower environmental impact.

Although the mainstream refrigerant R-410A has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0, its global warming potential (GWP) still remains an issue.

While R-32 also has an ozone depletion potential of 0, the refrigerant has only approximately 1/3 of the GWP of R-410A. Consequently, investigation of this promising next generation refrigerant has increased.

However, because R-32 had been an extremely difficult refrigerant to handle, its use was not practical until now. Daikin became the world’s first company to succeed in applying R-32 to air conditioners by leveraging its expertise as the only manufacturer that develops and manufactures both air conditioners and refrigerants.

^*Source:Values for 100 year global warming potential (GWP) from IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Comparative 100 year GWP: HFC410A, 2,090; HFC32, 675.