Appliance Research Consortium
Appliance Research Consortium, a
research focused subsidiary of AHAM
The Appliance Research
Consortium (ARC) is a technological partnership
of
Its initial purpose was
to address pre-competitive technology
development issues related to replacing the
functions of CFC-11 and CFC-12 in household
refrigeration applications with materials
and/or compounds that have near-zero ozone
depletion potential while still meeting
applicable government health and safety
regulations, as well as Federal energy
efficiency requirements. ARC has grown to also
address other pre-competitive appliance
technology issues.
ARC Board Member
Companies:
- Electrolux Home Products
- GE Appliances and Lighting
- Marvel/Northland Corporation
- Sanyo E&E Corporation
- Sub-Zero Freezer Company
- Viking Range Coporation
- Whirlpool Corporation
Liaison Members:
U.S. - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Over the last 15 years, the household refrigerator-freezer industry and its suppliers, working through the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and its research arm, the Appliance Research Consortium (ARC), has sponsored a series of studies to evaluate alternatives for ozone depleting substances that had been used as a refrigerant and a foam blowing agent. Areas investigated included safety aspects, product quality, impact on energy consumption, life cycle climate performance, and emissions of blowing agents from foam at the end of product life.
Early work of the Consortium was primarily focused on developing information that could be used to screen substances that were candidates for replacement refrigerants and blowing agents. Studies related to refrigerants were conducted under the sponsorship of the refrigerant technical advisory committee and studies related to foam blowing agents were conducted under the insulation technical advisory committee. These projects helped to expedite a smooth transition away from the use of ozone-depleting substances in refrigerators and freezers and were a major factor in AHAM’s selection by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a 2005 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award winner.
The Appliance Research Consortium,
Inc.
Association of Home Appliance
Manufacturers
Suite 402
1111 19th St.,
NW
Washington, DC 20036
For
Information Contact:
VP,
Technical Services
202-872-5955 Ext.
314