Ed Estberg, senior director of facilities for Raley's Supermarkets, North Highlands, Calif., stated that his company's 135 stores have been converting to HFC refrigerants for the last 11 years, noting that 71 percent of the 365,000 pounds of refrigerant used in various systems is R-404A. The goal for Raley's is to complete the conversions by 2010.
The big crunch in R-22 supplies is coming in 2015, Estberg said. Any stores still running on that refrigerant - or perhaps, any store decision-makers who have been approving the installation of R-22 systems - may face refrigerant supply problems. "If you haven't started, you need to get started now," he said. "I see no other alternative."