What is Global Warming Potential (GWP)

Global Warming Potential, also known as GWP, a measurement of how much heat a specific greenhouse gas can trap within the atmosphere. Something with a higher Global Warming number will have a much more harmful effect on the environment then another with a much lower number. As we all know with every type of scale or measurement we need a baseline or a zero out number. In other words, we need a control to compare GWP numbers to. In the case of GWP our control substance is Carbon Dioxide. Carbon Dioxide has a GWP rating of one. Yes, that’s right one.

So, now that we have the baseline we can begin to look at other substances and see how they compare on the GWP scale. If we look at one of the most popular refrigerants on the market today, R-410A, we can see that it has a GWP number of two-thousand and eighty-eight. Let’s think about that number for a second. R-410A refrigerant has more than two-thousand times the potency on the environment then Carbon Dioxide.

That example right there folks is why there is a big push to phase down or phase out high Global Warming Potential substances and chemicals. Refrigerants are included in these phase downs.

Thanks for reading,

Alec Johnson
RefrigerantHQ


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