Johnson Controls introduces new residential solutions with R-454B refrigerant

The products feature cutting-edge refrigerant technology with lower global warming potential and provide faster installation and service. The product line includes entry, mid, and high-efficiency heat pumps, as well as entry and mid-tier air conditioners.

Johnson Controls, the global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, released a novel suite of updated, innovative, and environmentally friendly residential products that have been optimized for use with the low-GWP refrigerant R-454B, with delivery dates beginning this quarter.

Johnson Controls has long been a champion of the transition to lower-GWP refrigerants and is one of the first in the market to have launched more than 70 percent of their product portfolio, preceding the 2025 regulatory shift by more than half a year. The launch includes a majority of the company’s residential portfolio of heat pumps, air conditioners, air handler units and indoor evaporator coils.

Johnson Controls introduced entry, mid, and high-efficiency heat pumps, as well as entry and mid-tier air conditioners. These innovative systems use cutting-edge refrigerant technology with reduced global warming potential. These products include improved features that make them faster to install and service, as well as smaller form factors for easier stocking and installation. They have also been engineered to ensure qualified tax credit and rebate ratings across different use applications. The newly introduced air handler portfolio, like our coil portfolio, includes higher-efficiency motors for more energy savings and comfort. To protect our customers’ safety, we now provide a refrigerant leak detecting sensor in a multi-position form factor, allowing customers to save inventory space by stocking only one model.

The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act calls for an 85 percent reduction in hydrofluorocarbon gases by 2036. The final regulation establishes a 700-GWP limit for most new comfort cooling equipment beginning January 1, 2025. Johnson Controls’ R-454B refrigerant for residential and commercial ducted systems equipment has a GWP value of 466, which is substantially below the standard and over 80 percent lower than traditional refrigerants.

“Designing future-ready technologies to meet upcoming standards reflects our overall commitment to driving sustainability while reducing install time and maintenance costs for our customers,” said David Budzinski, president, residential and light commercial, global products at Johnson Controls. “Working together with our customers, partners and suppliers, we are excited to deliver a planned refresh of our residential and light commercial portfolio, staying ahead of upcoming regulations. We added differentiated features and simplified the overall user experience of our products.”

“The entire portfolio has been redesigned with a new modern color scheme and enhanced features that address increased efficiency, improved serviceability and installation with a significant focus on increased ratings for customers incentivised by federal rebates and tax credits,” stated Sophia Bellos, vice president of product management for residential and light commercial systems at Johnson Controls. “I am especially excited that our new heat pump portfolio will qualify customers for increased tax credits and rebates, not only when paired with our air handlers but also with our furnaces, regardless of whether they are new or retrofit systems.”

Johnson Controls devised a proactive strategy to guarantee that clients not only stay ahead of laws, but also find the transition as straightforward as feasible. It has invested years testing, assessing, and implementing a variety of next-generation refrigerant choices capable of meeting future demands, resulting in a low-carbon footprint and high-performance outcomes across its product portfolio.

Every refrigerant Johnson Controls chooses is designed to be safe, dependable, efficient, and economical. The refrigerants utilized in certain Johnson Controls products have some of the lowest GWPs on the market.