Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, has launched a brand-new suite of redesigned, innovative and environmentally friendly residential products that have been optimized for use with the low-GWP refrigerant R-454B, with delivery dates this quarter.
“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.”
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% 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.
“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 incentivized 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.”
Among the products launched are Johnson Controls entry, mid- and high-efficiency heat pumps, as well as the entry and mid-tier air conditioners. These new systems feature the latest technology in refrigerants with low GWP. These products have improved features, making them faster to install and service, and smaller form factors for ease of stocking and installation, and they have been designed to ensure qualified tax credit and rebate ratings across multiple use applications. The newly launched air handler portfolio features higher-efficiency motors for improved energy savings and comfort, similar to our coil portfolio. To ensure the safety of our customers, a refrigerant leak detection sensor is now available in a multi-position form factor that allows customers to conserve inventory space by stocking one model.
The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act mandates an 85% reduction in hydrofluorocarbon gases by 2036. For stationary air conditioning and heat pumps, the final rule calls for a 700-GWP limit for most new comfort cooling equipment, starting Jan. 1, 2025. The R-454B refrigerant chosen by Johnson Controls for residential and commercial ducted systems equipment has a GWP rating of 466, well below the requirement and nearly an 80% reduction from conventional refrigerants.
Johnson Controls developed a proactive strategy to ensure customers can not only stay ahead of regulations but make the transition as simple as possible. It has spent years testing, evaluating and implementing a variety of next-generation refrigerant options capable of meeting future demands to deliver a low-carbon footprint with high-performance outcomes across its suite of products. Every refrigerant Johnson Controls selects is optimized to be safe, reliable, efficient and affordable. The refrigerants used in multiple Johnson Controls products have among the lowest GWP on the market.
