New Refrigerant Regulations Present Opportunity to Run Smarter, More Efficient Businesses

On January 1, 2026, the AIM Act will reshape refrigerant compliance, expanding federal rules to include commonly used HFC refrigerants and lowering the tracking threshold for appliances to just 15 pounds. This change will bring thousands of operators in retail, restaurants, and logistics under federal compliance, many of whom have not previously faced this type of regulation before. For many multi-site operators, HVAC/R systems can be one of the most expensive and leak-prone areas of facility management and, often, one of the least visible. But this fast-approaching federal deadline is about to force the issue.

To unpack the complexities and opportunities within this new mandate, we consulted Steven Blumenfeld, a proven entrepreneurial leader known for launching and scaling enterprise SaaS businesses in climate, energy, and other regulated markets. In his current role as VP and General Manager of Trakref at Fexa, he has an insider perspective for leaders navigating the rapid changes to refrigerant compliance.

He suggests the conversation needs to shift from penalties to operational waste, giving many facilities leaders the business case they need to secure budget and executive buy-in. “Leaks are waste. They’re expensive, they cause downtime, and they hurt the customer experience. The AIM Act is a push in a direction that facilities managers already wanted to go. It just adds the force needed to prioritize this area," he says.

• In data we trust: Seizing the opportunity means adopting a true system of record. With a web of regulations that includes not only the AIM Act but also state-level rules in California, New York, and Washington, a dedicated platform can be essential for enforcing trustworthy data collection from the start, especially when coordinating between in-house teams and external service providers. "Establishing a reliable system of record is key. It must capture essential, human-verified data directly from field technicians. Their hands-on knowledge, accurately entered, confirms asset performance and validates all other data points," he explains.

• Garbage in, gospel out: Blumenfeld says the goal should be to replace unreliable optional notes fields with “very prescriptive workflows that guarantee your service providers give you all the information you need to stay safe,” a core function of a modern HVAC/R management software. This structured approach ensures data integrity, which is foundational for accurate reporting, strategic planning, and even future AI applications.

For the thousands of operators in retail, convenience stores, and Medtail who are new to these regulations, the first step can feel daunting. Blumenfeld recommends understanding your specific exposure before building a strategy. Leaders should map their portfolio using a simple asset inventory checklist or a flowchart to determine applicability.

While the proliferation of AI tools offers powerful new ways to analyze data, any effective strategy must remain grounded in the physical reality of facilities management. The value of any intelligence is fundamentally limited by the quality of its underlying data, and true resolution still happens in the field.

• Physical reality: “AI and IoT data feeds alone cannot connect the feedback loop back to the field. Every facilities manager knows that at the end of the day, AI doesn’t fix a broken asset. A person does, with their hands on the equipment, making it work again,” Blumenfeld stresses. That limitation puts a greater emphasis on reliable, human-verified information. In an age of AI, having a system of record for this "hands-on" data is even more valuable, providing the ground truth that makes all other analysis worthwhile.

Ultimately, the rise of new regulations presents a choice. The opportunity is to build better practices into day-to-day operations, creating a more resilient, intelligent organization that sees beyond avoiding penalties. “I encourage facilities leaders to imagine a year from now. You have a single source of truth where you can see every HVAC and refrigeration asset in your portfolio, know exactly which regulations apply, and understand the performance of those assets. Achieving that reality is a lot closer than you might imagine," Blumenfeld concludes. “This isn’t about fines. It’s about using regulation as a reason to run smarter.”