Commercial refrigeration

Supermarket refrigeration is one of the leading sources of super-polluting hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant (HFC) emissions. Together with North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), U.S. supermarkets are taking steps to characterize and proactively reduce refrigerant leaks over the lifespan of refrigeration systems.

New publications on heat pumps and the circular economy have been published by the Institute of Refrigeration’s Beyond Refrigeration Initiative.

ATMOsphere announced the release of the “North American Guide to Natural Refrigerants in Ice Arenas,” including information on ammonia systems.

A new study on the risks associated with the use of propane (R290) in refrigeration and air conditioning will be used to support revisions of international safety standards.

An essential reference guide to the European F-gas regulations has now received an update.

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.

This safety alert concerns Class 2.1 Flammable refrigerant gases and provides guidance to occupiers of premises on how to control the risk of fire and explosion from refrigeration and air-conditioning systems containing flammable refrigerants.

This Information Sheet is aimed at individuals and organisations that carry out F-Gas handling operations related to stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pumps (RACHP) and refrigerated trucks and trailers (RTT). For mobile air-conditioning applications the requirements are different.

Stratospheric ozone depletion as well as atmospheric greenhouse effect due to refrigerant emissions have led to drastic changes in the refrigeration and air conditioning technology since the beginning of the 1990s.

This practical guide is designed to improve the skills and knowledge of professionals in the refrigeration sector that need to be certified in accordance with the requirements of the EEU (Eurasian Economic Union). The guide contains basic information on refrigeration equipment, main components of the refrigeration system, Besides, it provides information on commercial, industrial and mobile air conditioners, transport refrigeration, brazing of pipes of the refrigeration system, etc.

Climate change is an increasingly important global concern with far reaching effects. The heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry is allotting a significant amount of effort to reduce the environmental impacts of HVAC&R systems. Discussions about the climate impact is often limited to the GWP of the fluids used, but this is far too restrictive, as it does not take into account the real emissions of fluids, and ignores indirect emissions, especially those related to energy use over the life time of the equipment.

With the introduction of the revised EU Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation and the introduction of a Climate Change Policy by the UK Government, it is considered likely that more refrigeration system designers and users will be turning to alternative refrigerants such as hydrocarbons. The increased application of this technology will bring with it many technical and safety issues.

CO₂ is termed a “Natural Refrigerant” because it exists in the natural environment. Release into the atmosphere from refrigeration systems has a negligible effect compared to other CO₂ sources that are driving the global warming debate. As a refrigerant, it is a manufactured product that conforms to strict purity specifications. Its physical properties require special handling.