Refrigerant recovery pilot in Washington DC

As part of broader efforts to address climate change, the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) has partnered with one of the largest certified refrigerant reclaimers in the United States to launch the nation’s first utility-led refrigerant recovery and reclamation (RR&R) pilot.

In addition to cutting harmful synthetic greenhouse gas emissions, the pilot provides new revenue stream for HVACR contractors.

Unlike conventional utility programs that focus solely on energy savings, this pilot broadens the scope to include total greenhouse gas reductions by incentivising the recovery and reuse of refrigerants, contributing to a more circular economy within the industry.

The environmental need for such a program is clear: According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only 1.6 per cent of HFCs sold nationally in 2020 were reclaimed, due to logistical, educational, and financial barriers that made refrigerant recovery a challenge for contractors.

To address this challenge, under the pilot Hudson Technologies is providing hands-on training, storage containers, and logistics support for used refrigerants. 

Financial incentives from Hudson Technologies are layered on top of those from DCSEU, enabling contractors to invest in high-quality recovery equipment and transform what was an expense into a source of income.

“According to the 2024 RMI report, refrigerant recovery, reclamation and reuse can result in 70 per cent less emissions compared to using newly manufactured refrigerant,” said Hudson Technologies senior vice president of sales and marketing Kate Houghton.

“Increasing awareness around the importance of recovering refrigerant from every unit, and providing incentives to contractors for doing so is key to expanding the growth of reclamation practices and we are excited to see the early results of this innovative program.” 

One of the program’s early success stories comes from Hugee Corporation, a Certified Business Enterprise that has been operating in HVACR since 1984. Since participating in the pilot, Hugee has recovered more than 90kg of refrigerant, preventing the equivalent of approximately 181,000kg of CO₂ emissions (equivalent to avoiding the burning of 75,000 litres of petrol).

“The early results from Hugee Corporation are promising and demonstrate both the feasibility and importance of this work,” said DCSEU managing director Ben Burdick

“Our partnership with Hudson ensures that refrigerants are handled responsibly within the District and kept out of the atmosphere, directly aligning with the District’s climate action goals, while also supporting contractors to ensure that recovery is happening.”