FBD Partnership Refrigerant Transition Case Study

This case study details the collaboration between FBD Partnership, LP and Copeland in the development of a next-generation equipment platform focused on refrigerant transition. The document outlines FBD's proactive approach to migrating to lower-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, particularly R-290 and A2L R-455A, in response to regulatory changes and customer sustainability goals. It describes the challenges faced by FBD in navigating the refrigerant landscape, including compliance with evolving federal and state regulations. The R&D team's strategic partnership with Copeland aimed to ensure that product design changes would not disrupt existing customer experiences. The study presents preliminary test results of the redesigned R-290 prototypes, which show significant improvements in performance metrics compared to previous models. The document concludes with FBD's plans for compliance testing and product launch timelines, emphasizing the importance of maintaining continuity in compressor technology throughout the transition process.