Remarks regarding the “It’s All About the BAS” article, as well as the “More Troubleshooting Tips for Spring Tuneups” and “The Value of Remembering the Basic Cycle” articles.

The next time you’re faced with a choice of whether you should take some extra time and additional measurements, do the right thing. Take the time to do it right and find the true problem the first time.

This case study documents one year of operating experience with a transcritical carbon dioxide (TC CO₂) booster refrigeration system at Delhaize America’s Hannaford supermarket location in Turner, Maine. This store, which began operation in June 2013, is the first supermarket installation in the U.S. of a TC CO₂ booster refrigeration system.

CO₂ is primarily used in cascade systems that include ammonia, in booster systems in supermarkets, and as a stand-alone refrigerant for transcritical-configured systems.

Supermarket owners want refrigeration systems that are energy efficient to hold down costs and pro-environmental to portray political correctness. But, for engineers, contractors, and technicians, that approach may not be that easy when opening a new store or retrofitting an existing location.

Papers and presentations showcased at the most recent Food Marketing Institute Energy & Store Development Conference demonstrated the sector’s move away from high-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants and toward more efficient equipment.

Regularly cleaning commercial ice machines is a necessary part of ensuring their continued and safe operation. 

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.

HFO refrigerants are actually unsaturated HFC refrigerants and are widely recognized as the next generation of refrigerants because of their environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and great energy efficiencies.