Honeywell has announced that its new Solstice yf UV — a low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerant incorporating ultraviolet (UV) dye for leak detection support in automobile air conditioning systems — is now available at all participating NAPA Auto Parts stores across the United States. This is the first time Solstice yf (R-1234yf) refrigerant with UV dye will be available in the aftermarket.
The automotive service industry has traditionally used UV dye as a valuable tool to identify and repair air conditioning system leaks. With UV dye incorporated in Solstice yf, the solution provides precise leak detection, shortened service times, accurate repair verification and eliminates call-backs, increasing customer satisfaction. Solstice yf UV uses the same UV dye that car makers use on assembly lines and will allow service technicians to save time and money when servicing vehicles that were built with R-1234yf.
“At NAPA Auto Parts, we are always looking for opportunities to carry new and innovative tools that help our customers repair vehicles faster and with ease. Honeywell’s Solstice yf UV is exactly that type of product, and it has the benefit of being better for the environment,” said Mike Pettyjohn, senior category manager for NAPA Auto Parts.
By the end of 2022, R-1234yf refrigerant will be used in almost 200 million cars on the road globally and in more than 95% of all new vehicles sold in the United States. By 2025, it is estimated that more than 100 million cars using R-1234yf will be on the roads in the United States, significantly expanding R-1234yf servicing opportunities for automotive shops.
“As the first manufacturer to offer low-GWP R-1234yf with UV dye to the automotive industry, Honeywell is dedicated to supporting our end-user customers in their environmental transformations while helping them reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction scores,” said Ken West, president of Honeywell Advanced Materials. “With NAPA Auto Parts as our retail launch partner, we are expanding our reach to support customers across the United States, strengthening our commitment to supplying the automotive aftermarket with ready-now solutions that have lower greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing product performance.”
Honeywell’s Solstice yf UV is manufactured in the United States and is commercially available today at participating NAPA Auto Parts stores in 8-ounce cans as well as in 10- and 25-pound cylinders.
Honeywell has invested a billion dollars in research, development and new capacity for its Solstice technology, having anticipated the need for lower-GWP solutions to combat climate change more than a decade ago. The product line, which helps customers lower their greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency without sacrificing end-product performance, includes refrigerants for supermarkets, air conditioning for cars and trucks, blowing agents for insulation, propellants for personal and household care and solvents for cleaning solutions.
Customers utilizing Solstice technology have avoided the potential release of the equivalent of more than 260 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equal to eliminating the potential emissions from more than 55 million cars for one year.
Honeywell is committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035 and recently announced a new set of commitments that further advance its sustainability goals, including a science-based target with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) that includes scope 3 emissions and participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge. About 60% of Honeywell’s new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.
For more information on Solstice yf (R-1234yf), its applications, and impact, visit: https://sustainability.honeywell.com/us/en
