When designing for operational decarbonization, a recommended practice when specifications call for refrigerants with a...

LEED v5 EAp5: Fundamental Refrigerant Management requires project teams to evaluate available alternatives during design whenever proposed refrigerants have a GWP greater than 700. The purpose is to accelerate transition away from high-GWP refrigerants and reduce long-term greenhouse-gas emissions associated with refrigeration and HVAC equipment. Developing equipment alternatives that use refrigerants with a GWP of 700 or lower directly addresses this design-stage requirement. Reclaimed refrigerant can offer lifecycle benefits, but LEED does not require the lower-GWP alternative to be reclaimed. Likewise, volumetric capacity does not change the refrigerant ' s actual GWP value and therefore does not satisfy the fundamental design objective stated in the question. Consequently, Option A represents the appropriate alternative-equipment strategy when the original specification uses refrigerants above the 700-GWP threshold. U.S. Green Building Council