One Sensor, Multiple Refrigerants: N.E.T. Introduces IREF RF1 Broadband Refrigerant Sensor at Chillventa

The refrigerant market is becoming increasingly complex.

OEM manufacturers today may need to develop detection systems capable of working with different refrigerants, different product configurations and different application requirements.

This often means managing multiple sensor versions, additional part numbers and more complex integration work.

At Chillventa 2026, Hall 6 booth 432, N.E.T. will present a different approach:

The new IREF RF1 is a broadband infrared refrigerant gas sensor designed to detect more than 20 refrigerants using a single sensing platform.

What makes IREF RF1 different?

The key idea behind IREF RF1 is simple: instead of defining the detector architecture around one specific refrigerant, OEMs can use the same sensing platform across multiple product configurations.

The broadband infrared architecture combines wide-spectrum emitters and receivers with N.E.T. NDIR technology, allowing the sensor to measure different refrigerant gases through a common hardware platform.

For OEM manufacturers, this can help simplify the development of configurable gas detection systems.

The same sensor format and interface can be used across different detector variants, reducing the number of sensor versions involved.

This is particularly useful for companies working with product ranges that are designed include different refrigerant configurations.

Why can a broadband sensor simplify OEM product development?

When a gas detector is designed around multiple refrigerant options, complexity can increase quickly.

Different gases may require different sensor versions, different calibration procedures and different product part numbers.

With IREF RF1, N.E.T. introduces sensor architecture intended to reduce this fragmentation.

The sensor uses a broadband approach and can work with more than 20 available cross factors.

This gives manufacturers the option to develop a detector family around a more consistent sensing platform.

A common sensing platform, without giving up NDIR performance

The IREF RF1 is based on NDIR dual-beam technology and includes an internal microprocessor for signal processing.

The sensor provides linearised and temperature-compensated output and is available with analogue voltage or digital communication via Modbus.

The measurement range is 0–2000 ppm, with a response time of T90 ≤ 30 seconds.

Why is this relevant now?

The growing variety of refrigerants used across refrigeration, HVAC and heat pump applications is increasing the need for flexible sensing architectures.

For detector manufacturers, flexibility is not only about adding another gas to a product list.

It also means limiting redesign work, keeping integration manageable and maintaining consistency across different detector versions.

This is where the IREF RF1 approach becomes particularly relevant: one sensor platform, multiple refrigerant configurations.

Rather than designing the sensing hardware around one specific refrigerant, OEMs can evaluate a broadband architecture that can be adapted through cross factors.

What should an OEM evaluate before choosing this approach?

A broadband refrigerant sensor is particularly interesting when the same detector platform must support multiple gases.

Key aspects to evaluate include:

• the number of refrigerants to be included
• the required measurement range
• cross-factor accuracy
• response time
• operating temperature range
• analogue or digital integration
• certification requirements

IREF RF1 at a glance

• 20+ refrigerants through available cross factors
• One common 32 mm sensor platform
• NDIR dual-beam technology
• 0–2000 ppm measurement range
• Analogue or Modbus communication
• T90 ≤30 s

See the new IREF RF1 at Chillventa

At Chillventa 2026, N.E.T. will present the IREF RF1 and share insight on how broadband refrigerant detection can be used to simplify OEM detector architectures.

Hall 6 – booth 432

For companies developing refrigerant leak detection systems, this will be an opportunity to evaluate a different way of managing multiple refrigerants within the same product platform.