What are the environmental impacts of Clean Agent Gas Fire Protection Systems?

What are the environmental impacts of Clean Agent Gas Fire Protection Systems?

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Clean agent gas fire protection systems use agents like HFC-227ea (FM-200) and HFC-125 to suppress fires quite effectively without any remaining residue, which is ideal for sensitive spaces like museums and data centers. Though effective, these agents are also extremely powerful greenhouse gases. For instance, HFC-227ea has a 100-year global warming impact of 3,220, i.e., 3,220 times more devastating to global warming than carbon dioxide. HFC-125 also contains the same level of global warming potential of 3,500. By the same very high GWPs, both the substances are regulated controlled substances of the Montreal Protocol's 2016 Kigali amendment aimed to phase down hydrofluorocarbons so as to regulate climate change.

In a shift against the environmental issues, the environment less demanding alternatives are being brought in and utilized. A good example is Novec 1230 fluid, a fluorinated ketone with a GWP of approximately 1 and an atmospheric lifetime of approximately five days, a less harmful-to-the-environment alternative to the conventional HFCs. In addition, fire-extinguishing inert gas systems utilizing gases such as argon or nitrogen have GWPs of zero and do not affect ozone depletion. When one selects a clean agent gas fire protection system, there is a strict requirement to balance both fire-suppression effectiveness and environmental effect of the utilized agent.