Articles Tagged with ''natural refrigerants''

Embraco, a major manufacturer of compressors for domestic and commercial applications, has announced its technical training schedule for the 2015 AHR Expo taking place Jan. 26 to 28 in Chicago.

As 2015 begins, the end of new and imported HCFCs is in sight and phasedown and limits on certain HFCs seem more and more likely. So to continue to meet refrigeration needs, f-gas proponents turn to low global warming potential (GWP) HFCs and HFOs, while advocates of natural refrigerants continue to build their case.

This past year I was working on a story in which I asked contractors to comment on trends in refrigerants. I was doing so because so much of my writing in 2014 related to new directions for such gases. I start 2015 with the same theme: Continue to work with familiar refrigerants, but be prepared to shift to newer kids on the block.

The supermarket refrigeration sector is sensing the demise of high-GWP HFCs for use in HVAC systems, including some of the most commonly used refrigerants, R-404A and -507. Even if the line between high- and low-GWP HFCs has yet to be drawn, the industry is considering low-GWP options more frequently.

Nestlé has announced that, as of January 2015, every new horizontal chest freezer it buys to store ice cream will use natural refrigerants rather than synthetic refrigerants. These new freezers represent 70 percent of Nestlé’s total spend on freezers.

To continue to meet refrigeration needs, f-gas proponents are turning to low-global warming potential (GWP) HFCs and hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) while advocates of so-called natural solutions — hydrocarbons (HCs), CO2, and ammonia — continue to build their cases.

Almost two-thirds of large supermarkets surveyed in northern and western European countries now use natural refrigerants in their stores, according to a new report issued by Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, Europe. The research finds that this trend is being driven by industrywide sustainability policies that are outpacing legislation.

For this focus on supermarkets and restaurants, The NEWS asked a number of contractors where they are in the mix and where they see the refrigeration sector heading. Here is what they had to say.

The 2014 ASHRAE Handbook—Refrigeration, which covers refrigeration equipment and systems for applications other than human comfort, is now available for purchase. The 51 chapters include information on cooling, freezing, and storing food; industrial applications of refrigeration; and low-temperature refrigeration.

Danfoss highlighted the sustainability benefits of CO2 refrigeration systems in supermarket applications during a presentation at ATMOsphere America 2014 in San Francisco. ATMOsphere America convened industry leaders to discuss the latest technologies, market trends, and regulatory issues in the field of natural refrigerants.