1 World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 1998, Model-Derived Method
2 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 Method, 100 Year ITH

A new standard for sustainable clean agent fire protection technology
All organic compounds that are emitted into the atmosphere have the ability to act as a greenhouse gas. Their effect in the atmosphere or potency as a greenhouse gas is determined by the amount of infrared (IR) radiation they absorb and how long they reside in the atmosphere (their atmospheric lifetime). These factors are combined in a calculation and expressed in a single parameter known as the Global Warming Potential (GWP). When released to the atmosphere, Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid absorbs infrared (IR) energy similarly to other fluorinated compounds.

Atmospheric Lifetime = 5 days
What sets Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid apart from these other fluorochemicals is its very short atmospheric lifetime. Most fluorochemicals reside in the atmosphere for years - often on the order of decades or centuries. In contrast, Novec 1230 fluid degrades very rapidly in the lower atmosphere by reaction with sunlight (a process known as photolysis). This leads to a very short atmospheric life for Novec 1230 fluid of just 5 days.

GWP = 1
The very short atmospheric lifetime of Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid leads to a very low Global Warming Potential (GWP). The GWP essentially determines how many kilograms of CO2 - the world's most common greenhouse gas - would be equivalent to the release of one kilogram of this compound. The GWP for Novec 1230 fluid is 1. This means that is essentially the same as releasing the same amount of CO2.

Most fluorochemicals have significantly higher GWPs because fluorochemicals are very efficient energy absorbers. They tend to absorb energy in the atmosphere where no other compounds do - at wavelengths that normally pass unhindered through the atmosphere. They also typically have longer atmospheric lifetimes that greatly affect their global warming potential.