Commercial refrigeration

Italian-based Refrigera Industriale S.r.l. launched new CO₂ valves that can withstand the high pressures of transcritical systems at the AHR Expo in Chicago, IL.

On 1 July 2017, South Australia made global headlines. On that day, the state overtook Denmark for the dubious honour of having the world’s most expensive electricity, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Henderson Group, owners of the Spar, Eurospar, ViVo, ViVoXtra and ViVo Essentials grocery franchises, has upgraded its refrigerated fleet with Thermo King SLXi units using lower GWP refrigerant R452A.

A joint initiative launched in China today seeks to improve the efficiency of China’s air conditioners.

Following up on its NewTon ammonia/CO₂ packaged refrigeration unit, Japanese manufacturer Mayekawa launched an ammonia/CO₂ compact chiller called the Sierra-A at the AHR Expo in Chicago this week.

The Danfoss Turbocor TTH/TGH high-lift compressor has been named as the AHR Expo Product of the Year.

In a sign of the growing popularity of natural refrigerant systems in U.S. supermarkets, Parker Sporlan’s Micro Thermo, a control and energy management system, is increasingly being used with CO₂ transcritical installations in the U.S.

Analysis conducted by technology company Emerson, in conjunction with HVACR research institute ILK Dresden has shown that European retailers could save hundreds of millions by making the right choice of refrigeration system as they transition away from HFCs to sustainable alternatives.

During the One Planet Summit held in Paris in December 2017, Supermarket group Carrefour signed the “French Business Climate Pledge 2018”, thus agreeing to a reduction of CO₂ emissions. Carrefour plans to reduce emissions by 40% by 2025 and by 70% by 2025 compared to 2010 levels.

EIA and Greenpeace have relaunched their database of sustainable cooling and refrigeration technologies.

The International Institute of Refrigeration is now calling for abstracts of papers to be presented at the International Congress of Refrigeration (ICR) in Montreal in August 2019.

This will be a year of integrating air conditioning and heating technologies in commercial refrigeration systems, while ejectors will continue to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of CO₂ transcritical systems, manufacturers said.

With the phase-out of HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer progressing, the introduction of alternatives with not only zero ozone depleting potential (ODP) but also low global warming potential (GWP) and improved energy efficiency is becoming an issue of increasing importance, especially in developing countries.

Tests carried out by a major supermarket have shown that refrigerated display cases are at their most efficient when specifically designed for use with doors.

Pursuing a policy of continuous refinement of its products, Dorin has optimised the performance of its top of the range CD400 CO₂ compressors.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems has added a large-capacity 20hp CO₂ condensing unit to its commercial refrigeration line-up in the Far East.

Trane has expanded its Sintesis range of air-cooled screw chillers using low GWP refrigerant R1234ze.

The UK refrigeration and ac industry has backed staying within the European F-gas regulations post Brexit, but repeated warnings of dire shortages of high GWP refrigerants next year.

In another sign of natural refrigerants’ penetration into Europe’s retail sector, Spanish company Eurofred will begin offering natural refrigerant-based commercial refrigeration solutions.

A municipal kitchen in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, has been upgraded with a refrigeration system using a combination of the HFO R1234ze and R455A, a lower GWP alternative to R404A.