Certain appliances, such a refrigerators and freezers have a “GWP” label applied to them. What does GWP stand for and what does it mean?
What is GWP?
GWP stands for “global warming potential.” The term is applied to the specific part of appliances, like freezers, which use chemicals that could potentially lead to global warming.
GWP chemicals and compounds produce or similar greenhouse gases, the use of which have global warming potential, leading to climate change and the warming of the Earth.
How IS GWP Measured?
GWP measure how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a pound will absorb over a given period of time. This measurement not absolute, but rather it is an index that is relative to the 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The great the GWP rating, the more that chemical could the Earth over that time period.
How Is GWP Used?
GWP is a metric that is used in order to understand how much potential for global warming the chemicals inside of a specific product contain. This measurement is used by organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the US EPA
As a consumer, this allows us to pick the appliances with the lowest potential for global warming, if that’s a primary concern for us. If not, we can at least weight this measurement alongside price, features, and other considerations.
Examples
According to the EPA, methane (CH4) has a GWP of 28–36 over 100 years. Nitrous Oxide (N2O) has a GWP 265–298 over the same 100-year period.
CFCs are much worse. For example CFC-11 has a GWP of 4660
References
- EPA.gov, Understanding Global Warming Potentials
- GHG Protocols (PDF)