Natref Heat Pumps: a Key Piece in a Decarboni�Ed Future

APRIL - MAYCover Story 2019 // 1

ADVANCING HVAC&R NATURALLY AMERICA

NATREF HEAT PUMPS: A KEY PIECE IN A DECARBONIED FUTURE

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Learn more, view program & register at #GoNatRefs atmo.org/America2019 #ATMOAmerica Editor's Note // 3

NatRefs and Climate Change

— by Michael Garry

covering the world of natu- Washington – have taken or are tak- bonization Coalition are calling for dra- ral refrigerants, Accelerate ing steps to jettison HFCs. California, matically increasing the use of heat In America takes a two- of course, is the leader that has estab- pumps in the state. pronged approach: show- lished a template for other states to ing examples of the operational (espe- follow; the most recent is Washington There are two large caveats here. One cially efficiency) advantages that state, as outlined on page 30. is, the national electric grid has to con- underscore the business case for vert faster to renewables and away from natural-refrigerant-based technology, I am very excited to announce that Julie fossil fuels. And the heat pumps that and highlighting the environmental Cerqueira, executive director of the U.S. are adopted need to use natural refrig- benefits that make natural refrigerants Climate Alliance, will be participating erants and not HFCs. Natural refriger- immune to regulatory pressures now on the policy and standards discussion ant heat pumps are the most efficient and in the future. panel at the ATMOsphere America con- on the market, and though costly now, ference on natural refrigerants taking will become more affordable with econ- As the world continues to grapple with place in Atlanta June 17-18 (http://www. omies of scale. the growing threat posed by climate atmo.org/America2019). (The confer- change, the environmental benefits ence is organized by shecco, publisher With states like California promoting of natural refrigerants are becoming of Accelerate America.) Julie’s partici- HFC-reduction and decarbonization, increasingly relevant. So, too, are the pation sends a message to the HVAC&R natural refrigerants are poised to play policy measures that help phase down industry that the Alliance is serious a significant role in the fight against cli- the use of climate-damaging refriger- about its HFC-reduction mission and mate change. ants and support the adoption of natu- recognizes the opportunity for natural ral alternatives. refrigerants to serve as an alternative . to HFCs. In the U.S., of course, federal policy on refrigerants has unfortunately become Another promising development is muddled as a result of an ill-advised the growing movement to decarbon- U.S. Court of Appeals decision and the ize and electrify buildings and replace Trump administration’s efforts to roll gas-fired space and water heating with back virtually all Obama-era environ- electric heat pumps (and gas stoves mental policies. But I now see cause for with induction cooktops, among other some optimism on the policy front. changes). As this month’s cover story (page 44) explains, electric heat pumps First is the continuing growth of the have been identified as a vital part of U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coa- any effort to transition away from nat- lition of 23 U.S. state governors (plus ural gas and other fossil fuels (oil and the governor of Puerto Rico), that rep- propane) used in homes and buildings. resent 55% of the U.S. population and 60% of U.S. gross domestic product. As usual California, the state with The Alliance as a whole is committed to the most renewable energy, is lead- phasing down high-GWP HFC refriger- ing the decarbonization charge. New ants, and five of its states – California, reports from Energy and Environmental Michael Garry Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Economics and the Building Decar- Editor

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 4 // Table of Contents In this issue 03 Editor's Note 16 What Is Refrigeration, Anyway? NatRefs and Climate Change New standard definitions of 'refrigeration,' 'cooling' and other key terms will help explain the low-temperature sector to society, 06 About Us and raise awareness of an often underap-

// Opinion preciated industry. By Kostadin Fikiin About Accelerate America

Low-Charge Ammonia Guidelines: Letters to the Editor 08 18 A Work in Progress IIAR seeks feedback on its recently developed ARM-LC documents, which explains Infographic how to operate low-charges systems in compliance with the General Duty Clause. 10 Impact of 0.5°C on the Environment, And the New EIA Website Spotlights Importance of Kigali 20 HFC-Reducing U.S. Grocers ALDI US leads the way with 100 more Events Guide transcritical CO2 stores in 2019.

12 Major industry events // Trends in May and June

HC Charge-Limit Increase Voted Down America in Brief 14 22 Proposed standard falls just short of approval, preventing charge limit for A3 refrigerants from rising to 500 g from 150 g in commercial refrigeration.

18 IIAR’s ‘Huge Opportunity’ with 26 Hydrocarbons Code consultant Jeff Shapiro thinks the trade group can offer safety guidelines for flammable refrigerants where ASHRAE and code bodies fall short.

U.S. Appeals Court Maintains Ban on 28 HFC Replacements Following 2017 precedent, court partially nullifies EPA SNAP Rule 21, leaving HFC prohibition in new ODS retrofits.

Washington State Legislature Passes 30 HFC-Reduction Bill Bill calls for study of ways to boost use of products with alternative refrigerants, following California’s lead.

CARB Seeks Stakeholder Feedback on 31 GWP Refrigerant Caps The California agency, which is setting GWP limits for new AC and refrigeration systems, also urges HVAC&R stakeholders to push for

// Policy // incentive funding with state legislators.

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Table of Contents // 5

R290 Settles in for Cabinet OEMs 32 Having made the transition to propane 32 refrigerant, Turbo air and Fogel see stable market with major customers.

Vilter Prepares for Release of 34 Low-Charge Ammonia Package The Modular Rooftop Unit employs

CO2 or glycol as a secondary fluid. // Event

Should Grocers Fear Ammonia? 36 No, say the people involved in four of the five

ammonia/CO2 systems installed (or soon to be installed) at U.S. supermarkets, though initial cost remains a significant hurdle.

Lidl France Banking on Propane 40 In August 2018, Lidl France opened its first supermarket to use propane for 100% of

36 End User // refrigeration, creating a standard for new stores.

NatRef Heat Pumps: A Key Piece in a 44 Decarbonized Future As buildings seek alternatives to fossil fuels

for heating, electric heat pumps using CO2 and other natural refrigerants are finding

// Cover Story Cover // a growing market in North America.

Epta forms U.S. company with Kysor 52 Warren purchase Kysor Warren Epta US Corp. positions

Epta to bring its CO2 systems to North and Central American markets, following // Technology // its acquisition of Lennox subsidiary. 44

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 6 // About Us

APRIL - MAY 2019 Accelerate America April - May 2019 // Volume 5, Issue #44 ADVANCING HVAC&R NATURALLY AMERICA

Publisher Marc Chasserot [email protected]

Editor Michael Garry [email protected]

Contributing Writers Pilar Aleu Marie Battesti Dario Belluomini Jan Dusek Eda Isaksson Charlotte McLaughlin Klara Zolcer Skacanova About Accelerate America Andrew Williams Devin Yoshimoto Brought to you by shecco, the worldwide experts in natural refrigerant news, Accelerate Ad Coordinator America is the first news magazine written Silvia Scaldaferri for and about the most progressive business leaders working with natural refrigerant Art Director solutions in all HVAC&R sectors. Charlotte Georis http://acceleratena.com Graphic Designer Accelerate America publisher shecco's network Juliana Gomez spans the globe with offices in Brussels, Tokyo, New York and Sydney. Photographers Ben Beech Scott Chasserot

WANT TO ADVERTISE? The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the Publisher. Every care is / Ad Sales taken to ensure the content of the magazine is accurate but we assume no responsibility for any Silvia Scaldaferri effect from errors or omissions. [email protected]

/ Editor Michael Garry [email protected] 203-417-0767

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 About Us // 7

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 8 //

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

AMMONIA INDUSTRY’S EFFICIENCY CHALLENGE In regard to “How to Save More Energy in a NatRef System,” (Accelerate America, March 2019), the ammonia industry is facing a huge energy-efficiency challenge. This challenge almost exclu- sively comes down to system design and control.

What the industry must do is absolutely minimize or eliminate the presence of liquid in all suction lines during all operating conditions. This is exactly what a centralized, low-charge NH3 system does.

In a typical freezer plant, the saturated ammonia liquid is about 800-1000 times heavier than the saturated vapor at the same temperature. This provides an impression of the amount of energy required to lift this liquid out of all the low points of the plant and return it to the central plant, where liquid and vapor are separated upstream of the compressors. FINDING LEAKS FAST It is very clear that the presence of relatively heavy liquid in the I read with interest your Editor’s Note on “The Truly Green wet return line network of conventional large centralized liquid- Option” in November-December 2018 issue of Accelerate overfeed ammonia systems virtually destroys the advantage of America at the AHR Expo this year. I agree that the move the relatively low molecular weight of this refrigerant. toward HFOs being controlled is a good one. At Bacharach, we are trying to get the users of refrigerants, whether in super- In view of the above, it is no surprise that transcritical CO2 markets, food industries, cold storage, etc., to find leaking systems that employ multiple small reciprocating compressors refrigerant fast and early, to not only save them money, but (some with speed control) and do not have any or very limited to save our environment. Our products can monitor down to 1 amounts of liquid in the suction lines sometimes display better ppm of refrigerants for many different types. annualized energy performance than large-scale centralized

NH3 systems. Shelli Cosmide Marketing Communications Manager Multiple small reciprocating compressors in a central two-stage Bacharach system deliver far better part-load performance than larger slide- New Kensington, Pa. valve controlled screw compressors. This is not new. Gustav Lorentzen pointed this out in some modeling results published in 1981.

The ammonia industry has been using fewer, larger compressors to reduce system capital costs for decades, and this has in many cases been absolutely detrimental to the energy performance outcomes delivered. LETTERS ARE WELCOMED! The path to long-term survival for the ammonia industry as a Accelerate America invites readers to submit letters to whole is energy-efficiency improvement. Nothing will match the the editor at [email protected]. They can be energy performance of an ammonia refrigeration system done about a recent article; an industry issue that readers well. Therefore, the industry has to start doing these systems would like us to cover in greater detail; or the value of well, or lose significant market share. Accelerate America and ATMOsphere America in edu- cating the industry about natural refrigerants, includ- Stefan Jensen ing what we can do better. Letters may be edited for Managing Director clarity or length. Scantec Refrigeration Technologies Murarrie, Australia

Accelerate America // April - May 2019

10 // Infographic Imat of .C on the Enionment,

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Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Imat of .C on the Enionment,

3 Ati IeFee Smmes

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cietiic Aemet e epleti 201 M irmet AA AA a rpea mmii rl erce titte 12 // Events Guide

06-08

AHRI Spring Meeting, Baltimore, Md. This event will feature the first meetings of the all-new Industry Sector Leadership Councils, as well as policy updates for members. Several certification, regulatory, and technical working groups will meet to discuss sector- and product-specific issues.

https://bit.ly/2F89ncW

MAY @AHRIEngage 21 2PM ET ET 14 2PM GreenChill Webinar. Real- World Applications and GreenChill Webinar. Navigating Operation of Ammonia/Carbon Technician Shortages: How Dioxide Systems, Online Service Contractors Are Preparing Staff to Handle New Refrigerants Environmental Protection Agency's Green- in Advanced Systems, Online Chill program hosts webinar featuring Rob Arthur of CTA, and food retailers. Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill program hosts webinar featuring Bryan Beitler of Coolsys and a community college representative. https://bit.ly/2TI9xzH

@EPAgreenchill https://bit.ly/2VTMKyi

@EPAgreenchill 21-24

18-21 North American Rink Conference & Expo, Buffalo, N.Y. NRA Show 2019, The North American Rink Conference & Chicago, Ill. Expo (NARCE), presented by the United States Ice Rink Association, is an annual The 100th anniversary of the National meeting of ice rink and ice sport industry Restaurant Association Show will feature professionals. The four-day event will more than 43,000 restaurant industry bring together hundreds of ice rink profes- executives and suppliers, including sionals, ice sport national governing body refrigeration equipment manufacturers. representatives and industry suppliers.

https://bit.ly/2HuFkgQ https://bit.ly/2F8MmXb

@NatlRestShow @usicerinkassoc

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Events Guide // 13

04 2PM ET 17-18

GreenChill Webinar. Data in the ATMOsphere America, Driver's Seat: Leak Patterns Atlanta, Ga. in Observed Data and How It The eighth annual event brings Can Help Reduce Emissions together end users, contractors, Environmental Protection Agen- manufacturers and policy makers to cy's GreenChill program hosts we- learn about the latest developments binar featuring Matt Collins and in natural refrigerant technology. Jim Ayres of Parasense and Jeff Rupert of Fazio Mechanical. https://bit.ly/2OOPdro

https://bit.ly/2CTRTzp @ATMOEvents JUN @EPAgreenchill

10-12

Global Cold Chain Expo, Chicago, Ill. Attendees include representatives of retail, foodservice, processing, production, distribution, logistics, and transportation involved with frozen, refrigerated, ambient and fresh operations.

https://bit.ly/1PQyRFQ

@gccaorg

13 22-26 GCAP Ammonia Safety Day, Kansas City, Kan. ASHRAE Annual Conference, The event will feature about 40 vendors Kansas City, Mo. and a program that will include how This event will feature a techni- to prevent false alarms, secondary cal program along with commit- coolants and emergency management. tee meetings and bookstore.

https://bit.ly/2YSF1CY https://bit.ly/2KPf5QW

@NH3Training @ashraenews

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 14 // AMERICA IN BRIEF CGF, shecco Booklet Apple’s Vehicle Patent U.S. Plans to Restore Covers NatRef Systems Features CO2 System Credits for CO2 in MAC

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and shecco, California-based Apple Inc. has submit- The Trump administration is planning publisher of Accelerate America, have launched ted a patent application for a new thermal to alter its rollback of Obama-era clean a booklet exploring the environmental impact management system designed for elec- car rules to allow credits for automakers of refrigerant systems, as well as the main chal- tric vehicles. that install less-polluting air condition- lenges in implementing HFC- free cooling. ers in their vehicles, including those that

The application was published by the U.S. use CO2 as a refrigerant, according to a The booklet – called “Understanding the Most Patent & Trademark Office and can be report in E&E News. Cost-Effective Way to Fight Climate Change" found at https://bit.ly/2Y0IQoe. – also highlights the benefits of using natural The move came in response to com- refrigerant-based technologies and features The patent identifies "an increased plaints from AC manufacturers and case studies from companies who have already need for more efficient power manage- Chemours and Honeywell, manufactur- made the switch to natural refrigerants. An ment systems, particularly in the area of ers of R1234yf, a low-GWP refrigerant abbreviated version can be accessed at https:// vehicle thermal management," for bat- that would also qualify for the credits.

bit.ly/2GwL3AD. To request the full report, tery-powered electric or hybrid vehicles. The EPA allows CO2 (R744), R1234yf contact [email protected]. and R152a as low-GWP alternatives to The use of R744 as a refrigerant is R134a, the common mobile AC refriger- The booklet includes testimonies provided by described within the patent's detai- ant that has a GWP of 1,430. industry end users who have successfully imple- led description. mented energy-efficient, HFC-free technology. With the exception of German manufac- Success stories include those from a number "Through use of R744 refrigerant," the turers Volkswagen and Daimler, which

of CGF members: Campbell Soup, Carrefour, patent states, "the system can operate as have selected CO2 as a mobile air con- Heineken, Lawson, METRO AG, Recheio (Jeronimo a heat generator in temperatures down to ditioning (MAC) refrigerant, car makers Martins) and Woolworths. -30 degrees Celsius. In this manner, the have largely opted for R1234yf as a sub- refrigerant loop operates as a heat pump stitute for R134a. “Thanks to the actions of these leading retailers and to generate heat from a refrigerant cycle." manufacturers, we now have a much better under- In its original proposal for the rollback standing of the HFC-challenge and how we can According to the website Patently Apple, of clean car rules, the Trump administra- drive positive change and phase out these harm- the patent application is related to “Project tion suggested eliminating the compli- ful, chemical refrigerants,” said Ignacio Gavilan, Titan” — the code name for Apple's ance credits for low-GWP MAC. But in its CGF’s environmental sustainability director. long-rumored electric vehicle project. final rule expected this spring or sum- MG DY mer, the administration plans to restore the credits, according to E&E News. But the final rule would still roll back the Obama plan to nearly double fuel-econ- ’Naturally Cool’ Initiative Launched omy standards in cars by 2025.

The Trump administration has pre- The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) has launched an environ- viously turned a deaf ear to indus- mentally focused movement called Naturally Cool (http://nasrc.org/naturallycool), which is try requests regarding refrigerants, designed to raise awareness about natural refrigerants and how they benefit the environment. such as moving the HFC-reduction scheme under the Kigali Amendment NASRC (nasrc.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on taking action to eliminate the to the Montreal Protocol to the Senate barriers preventing the adoption of natural refrigerants in supermarkets. for ratification.

“Over the past three years, we’ve received tremendous support from supermarket industry One of the abandoned Obama HFC reg- stakeholders, who have been the driving force behind our accomplishments to date,” said ulations, Significant New Alternatives Danielle Wright, executive director of the NASRC, in a statement. “What we’ve realized is that a Policy (SNAP) Rule 20, ruled that lack of awareness of natural refrigerants outside of the industry is slowing our impact. We’re R134a would be unacceptable in New trying to change that with Naturally Cool.” Light-Duty MAC systems as of 2021. MG Naturally Cool’s first project will be to develop an educational video to raise awareness about natural refrigerants and expand support for the industry.

NASRC is seeking volunteers to work on media relations, content creation, speaking opportunities, marketing and local leadership in support of Naturally Cool. MG

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What Is Refrigeration, Anyway?

New standard definitions ow many ordinary people Several years ago, the U.K.’s Royal of 'refrigeration,' 'cooling' know what the term “refriger- Society named refrigeration the most H ation” really means? significant invention in the history of and other key terms will Certainly, the number is not food and drink. Sociological polls reg- help explain the low-tem- very impressive! The matter is often ularly place the household fridge on the “terra incognita” even for those who are very top of the rankings for domestic perature sector to society, expected to shape the industrial, appliances that contemporary consum- and raise awareness of agri(aqua)cultural, food and energy poli- ers could not live without. cies of the future. an often underappre- People are often confused by the mul- ciated industry There are numerous individual tiple definitions of refrigeration, pub- perceptions and claims, such as lished in different sources, which are “Refrigeration is about food, while often overlapping but never identical. — By Kostadin Fikiin cooling is about building or car air con- Such a terminological mess would not ditioning.” However, this is absolutely be so dramatic if it did not lead to some wrong! Refrigeration is not defined by adverse consequences. For example, a particular application. Another wide- in some cases, qualified refrigeration spread misconception is that “refriger- professionals are not approached to ation” and “cooling” mean one and the do specialized work or to implement a same. But, are they really the same? No, relevant program because preference in fact! Whereas “cooling” is a generic is given to generalists with unproven notion, “refrigeration” is much more competence. Moreover, it is difficult to People are often specific and means artificial (human- explain refrigeration to today’s society made) cooling. or to present it to younger generations confused by the as a wonderful métier of the past, pres- Artificial cooling (refrigeration) is a ent and future. multiple definitions mostly invisible industry that removes heat from homes, offices, warehouses Two years ago, I suggested creat- of refrigeration, and trucks. It is largely taken for granted ing a unified international definition by contemporary society – from the cold of refrigeration. I am now delighted published in chains that, behind the scenes, safely to announce that a joint expert group deliver our food and vaccines, to the air from the International Institute of different sources, conditioners that make our workplaces Refrigeration (IIR) and the American and homes comfortable, and to many Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air which are often industrial processes, such as the one Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has that keeps our data centers operating. established, after working hard for over overlapping but a year, common definitions of the five most essential terms in the refrigeration never identical. sector. The definitions are as follows:

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Opinion // 17

Simultaneously, the definitions were much more aware of the refrigeration COOLING: approved by ASHRAE, whose president, sector’s nature, scope, development (1) Removal of heat, usually resulting in a Sheila Hayter, observed, “The new defi- and needs. lower temperature and/or phase change. nitions will help those within our industry, as well as the general public, gain The definitions should also help the (2) Lowering temperature. a clearer understanding of important industry meet the stringent require- refrigeration keywords that are often ments of the Paris Climate Agreement, misused or too broadly defined. We the Katowice climate-change con- REFRIGERATION: appreciate the contributions of IIR and ference, the Kigali amendment to (1) Cooling of a space, substance or sys- anticipate that the adoption of these the Montreal Protocol, and the UN’s tem to lower and/or maintain its tempera- definitions will be positive.” Sustainable Development Goals, as ture below the ambient one (removed heat both radical and incremental technol- is rejected at a higher temperature). As part of the definition-creating exer- ogy innovations are actively sought cise, I am proud of achieving this accom- to ensure a carbon-free cold economy (2) Artificial cooling. plishment in advance of the forthcom- by 2050. ing 25th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration, to be held August 24-30, (This article was adapted from an original CHILLING: 2019, in Montreal, Canada. This event online publication in the European media Cooling of a substance without freezing it. will bring together over 1,000 refrigera- platform for policymaking, EurActiv.com.) tion scientists, engineers and entrepre- FREEZING: neurs, 111 years after the first event of this kind took place in Paris. In addition, Solidification phase change of a liquid or as a modest present to the refrigeration the liquid content of a substance, usually community, the new, hopefully univer- due to cooling. sal, definitions arrive in time for the first celebration of World Refrigeration Day COLD CHAIN: on June 26, 2019.

Series of actions and equipment applied At the EU level, the new definitions for the to maintain a product within a specified refrigeration sector – which is respon- low-temperature range from harvest/pro- sible for 17% of worldwide electricity duction to consumption. consumption and 7.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions – should affect relevant sectoral policies and legislation, such as the EU heating and cooling strategy, F-gas regulations, eco-design, The IIR’s Science and Technology energy efficiency and energy labelling Council has endorsed these new defi- directives, etc. The importance of the nitions, which entered into force on sector in Europe is not always ade- February 8, 2019. Furthermore, IIR quately appreciated, often remaining in Kostadin Fikiin is an strongly recommends the global use the shadow of its heating counterpart. international R&D project of the newly defined terms to all its manager (Technical University member and non-member countries, These five, seemingly simple, defini- of Sofia, Bulgaria); chairman and calls upon all refrigeration-related tions are expected to put in order the of the Food Refrigeration national and regional organizations puzzle of terminology, technologies and Equipment Working Group and professional associations to adopt industrial policies by making research (European Hygienic Engineering and disseminate these definitions. This players, entrepreneurs, project manag- & Design Group - EHEDG); and would ensure their universal application ers, investors, governmental represen- an academician (International and worldwide harmonization. tatives and international policy makers Academy of Refrigeration).

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 18 // Trends

LOW-CHARGE AMMONIA GUIDELINES: A WORK IN PROGRESS

IIAR seeks feedback on its recently developed ARM-LC documents, which explain how to operate low-charge systems in compliance with the General Duty Clause

– By Charlotte McLaughlin and Michael Garry

ast November, the Interna- tional Institute of Ammonia Kurt Liebendorfer, Evapco L Refrigeration (IIAR) released With this low-charge its first guidelines for users of low-charge ammonia systems that program we are use a charge of 500 lbs or less, but the just filling a void. trade group is open to suggestions on how the guidelines can be improved.

The guidelines, called Low Charge may not have used ammonia before or be familiar with the Ammonia Refrigeration Management requirements of the General Duty Clause, and “need to have a (ARM-LC), are contained in two docu- reference document,” said Kurt Liebendorfer, vice-president ments – a 13-page Summary and an of Evapco, in a presentation at the IIAR Natural Refrigeration 86-page Guidebook – that deal with Conference and Expo, held in Phoenix March 4-6. safely installing, using and servicing low-charge ammonia systems in “With this low-charge program we are just filling a void,” compliance with the General Duty he said. Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the ARM-LC is a follow-up to IIAR’s ARM guidelines, issued in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2005 for ammonia systems using charges of between 500 and 10,000 lbs. Systems with more than 10,000 lbs of ammonia The Guidebook includes forms and are subject to the more stringent regulations established by templates in which manufacturers and OSHA and the EPA, known as Process Safety Management contractors can provide end users with (PSM) and Risk Management Program (RMP), respectively. information on their low-charge ammonia installation. (Both documents can ARM-LC generally covers systems with ammonia charge/ be purchased at IIAR’s website here: capacity ratios of 0.5-7.0 lbs/TR; by contrast, large conven- https://bit.ly/2UIcIJ9.) tional ammonia systems have ratios of 20-30 lbs/TR or more.

The guidelines, which cover packaged One of the key messages of the guidelines is that low- charge and stick-built low-charge ammonia systems reduce the regulations that ammonia operators face. systems, are designed to help end However, “we know there is more peeling away of regulatory users of low-charge systems who burden that can occur,” said Liebendorfer.

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Trends // 19

The IIAR’s Compliance Guideline Committee is therefore seeking input We know there is more on ways the ARM-LC guidelines can be peeling away of regulatory updated to reflect low-charge systems’ safety advantages, said Liebendorfer, a burden that can occur. member of the committee.

For example, a leak of under 100 lbs of ammonia does not require an operator to notify an emergency response cen- Packaged ammonia systems are typically pre-engineered ter. “But what additional layers of reg- with strong quality control. Moreover, an owner of a low- ulations could you remove?” he asked. charge system can treat it as personal property, which can “These are areas we want to explore also translate into big tax savings, said Liebendorfer. “And with the next version of the program.” they have a lower life-cycle costs.”

In leaks from low-charge systems, there The ARM-LC guidelines recommend that end users amend are typically no off-site consequences. their existing emergency response program with instructions “That has to be evaluated so we can on how to respond to the smell of ammonia. It should trigger determine how the program can be a call to the contractor, and could include an evacuation plan. made easier for low-charge systems,” added Liebendorfer. Packaged low-charge ammonia refrigeration and chiller systems are being produced by a growing number of U.S. man- “Any input we would get back, we would ufacturers, including Azane (a division of U.K.-based Star try to incorporate into the workings of Refrigeration Group), Mayekawa, Evapco and Vilter (see page the committee and develop a revision of 34). “There are a lot of package providers out there that are the document,” he said. bringing these low charge systems to market,” Liebendorfer said. “IIAR didn't want to fall behind in establishing guidelines and creating expectations for these systems.” OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGES Low-charge systems offer many oper- The low-charge units are being used in a wide range of appli- ational advantages to end users, noted cations, including data centers, manufacturing facilities and Liebendorfer. For example, unlike large ice rinks. They are also being employed in places outside the ammonia systems, low-charge equip- core market for ammonia refrigeration, such as small distri- ment allows end users to rely on man- bution centers, food-preparation facilities and supermarkets,

ufacturers and contractors to provide where a handful of stores are testing ammonia/CO2 cascade safety guidelines and explain the day- systems, he noted. (See page 36.) to-day operation of the system. The ARM-LC guidelines are designed to help the lat- Under the guidelines, contractors that ter end users, who typically don’t employ technicians on install low-charge ammonia systems site and where a service contractor business model is the are responsible for training on-site general practice. employees, although the training would be significantly less intensive than for The guidelines also contain information on operating and large, industrial facilities that use bigger maintenance procedures. “So if a leak occurs, you have a ammonia charges. methodology to investigate it,” Liebendorfer explained. They also provide a qualification program for contractors so that For packaged systems, the ATM-LC in the event of an emergency “you have the basis for an guidelines suggest that manufactur- action plan.” ers should conduct a hazard review before the equipment is installed, IIAR does not plan to incorporate the guidelines into IIAR rather than the full-scale process codes and standards. However, the latest version of IIAR’s hazard analysis (PHA) that would nor- safety standard, IIAR-2, includes a chapter on ammonia pack- mally be conducted at facilities with aged systems. “IIAR wants to expand on that,” he added. large ammonia systems. CM & MG

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 20 // Trends

In addition to ALDI US, the new EIA web platform – https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org – New EIA identifies other food retailers engaged in HFC- reduction and energy-efficiency initiatives, including Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts, and Ahold Website Delhaize USA. The site provides a map of supermarket locations in the U.S. using climate- friendly cooling, and highlights specific company actions in three key areas: adopting technologies, refrig- Spotlights erant management, and engaging in technical and policy dialogue.

HFC-Reducing STILL LAGGING Mahapatra noted that, apart from these leading retailers, the U.S. retail sector as a whole “has U.S. Grocers remained a laggard in adopting climate-friendly cooling compared to their counterparts in rest of the developed world.” ALDI US leads the way with 100 more “We commend this small group of leading com- transcritical CO2 stores in 2019 panies, but there is much more the U.S. supermarket sector can and must do,” added Christina – By Michael Garry Starr, climate policy analyst, EIA. “These leading companies represent just 15% of U.S. supermarkets so there’s a big opportunity for more to make commitments such as phasing out the worst HFCs like R404A, adopting climate-friendly refrigerants in new refrigeration systems, or join- new website launched on April 22 – ing the EPA’s GreenChill Partnership and taking Earth Day – by the Environmental steps to limit leaks.” A Investigation Agency (EIA) highlights U.S. retailers committed to reducing If all U.S. supermarkets join the EPA’s GreenChill HFCs, in part by installing natural refrigerant- Partnership and achieve similar reduced leak rates, based systems. it would mitigate an additional 15.5 million metric

tons of CO2e annually, EIA said. As part of this initiative, ALDI US announced its intention to add 100 more stores in 2019 Other U.S. retailers included on the website com-

with transcritical CO2 refrigeration. To date, the mented on their HFC- reduction initiatives. retailer, which operates more than 1,800 stores, has installed transcritical systems in over 220 "We currently have 30 stores using low-GWP

stores, making it the leading U.S. retail user of refrigeration systems including CO2, propane and the technology. ALDI US also employs self- ammonia, and have adopted propane self- con- contained equipment running on propane in over tained cases across the entire chain,” said Aaron 900 stores, as well as ammonia refrigeration sys- Daly, global director of energy management at tems in all warehouses. Whole Foods. “We have seen great results from our low- GWP projects to date and continue to invest in “ALDI is deeply committed to reducing its refrig- innovation, exploring new approaches to reducing erant emissions and believes natural refrigerants HFCs while addressing the varying needs of food are the best long-term solution for the planet,” said retail refrigeration.” Aaron Sumida, vice president at ALDI. Added Frank Davis, director of facilities and engi- “Smart companies, such as ALDI US, committed neering at Sprouts Farmers Market: “At Sprouts, to rapidly scaling up energy-efficient HFC-free we are committed to lowering HFC emissions from technologies, demonstrate that it makes busi- cooling by reducing leaks and piloting sustainable ness and climate sense to lead in adopting future- refrigeration technologies in stores. We continue proof refrigeration systems not reliant on potent to follow through on this commitment through our super-pollutants,” said Avipsa Mahapatra, climate participation and certification of stores in EPA's campaign lead for EIA. GreenChill Partnership." MG

Accelerate America // April - May 2019

22 // Policy

HC CHARGE-LIMIT INCREASE VOTED DOWN

Proposed standard falls just short of approval, preventing charge limit for A3 refrigerants from rising to 500 g from 150 g in commercial refrigeration

– By Michael Garry and Marie Battesti

Marek Zgliczynski, Embraco

an extremely close vote concluded on April 12, the the 500-g charge limit. “But the upside to losing by [a small National Committees of the Internationa margin] is that it’s an indication that it is a matter of ‘when’ In Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) voted against and not ‘if’ the higher charge limit will be passed in the future.” a proposal to increase the charge limit for A3 (flammable) refrigerants to 500 g from 150 g in self-contained “The main outcome of a negative vote will be in itself another commercial refrigeration cabinets. barrier for the deployment of climate-friendly alternatives to refrigerant gases,” said ECOS (European Environmental They also voted down raising the charge limit for A2 and Citizens' Organisation for Standardization) in a position A2L (low flammable) refrigerants to 1,200 g from 150 g in the paper co-signed by several NGOs, including NASRC, and same equipment. companies (including shecco, publisher of Accelerate America) on March 4, 2019. The vote ended a five-year process that many expected would result in a higher charge limits for flammable refrig- The votes included participating (P) members (countries) erants like propane (R290) under IEC’s 60335-2-89 standard. on the IEC’s subcommittee (SC) 61C, which was responsible The effort to raise the limit could be revisited, though its fate for the development of the proposed charge limit, as well as is unclear at present. observer (O) members. (In a separate vote by only P-Members, the proposal passed by a 70.8% vote, surpassing the two- The vote on the proposal – known as the Final Draft thirds minimum required.) International Standard (FDIS) – in effect fell just one-third of a vote short of being approved. Out of 35 total votes cast Participating members are obliged to vote at all stages and to by National Committees, nine (25.7%) voted against; for the contribute to standard development, while observer members proposal to be enacted, the opposing votes could not exceed follow the work, receive committee documents and have the 25%. The full results of the voting, including votes cast by right to submit comments. They also attend meetings and each country, can be found here: https://bit.ly/2UeBdZa. can vote.

The vote was received as a major setback to many who saw Seven participating countries (Israel, Japan, Republic of raising the charge limit as a way to boost the market for Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Turkey and the U.S.) voted hydrocarbon refrigerants. “We are very disappointed by the against the charge increase as well as two observer coun- news, especially to lose by such a small margin,” said Danielle tries (Serbia and Hungary). Ten countries abstained and six Wright, executive director of the North American Sustainable observer countries did not participate in the vote. Refrigeration Council (NASRC), which had strongly supported

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Experts for 24 // Policy

“I was hoping it would succeed,” said Marek Zgliczynski, chair The charge-limit increase to 500 g from 150 g would of SC 61C, and director of research and development for com- have widened the use of hydrocarbons as natural pressor manufacturer Embraco. “The quantity of resources refrigerants worldwide by allowing a single circuit to dedicated to developing the standard was great – all this work be employed in larger cabinets, rather than multiple has not given fruit.” circuits using no more than 150 g of refrigerant.

FIVE-YEAR PROCESS However, even with the 150-g limit, hydrocarbon cabinets have proliferated around the world, and are An amendment to the 60335-2-89 standard with a higher becoming a growing presence in food stores and charge for flammable refrigerants has been in development restaurants. “With 150 grams you can make a system since 2014, when SC 61C created a Working Group (WG4) to up to 1.5 kW [0.4TR] in a medium-temperature unit,” address raising the charge limit. In July of 2018, the National noted Zgliczynski. Using multiple compressors that Committees voted 75% in the affirmative (surpassing the two- can be used as needed in a larger cabinet is “not a bad thirds minimum) to increase the charge limit in an interim solution,” he added. procedure called the committee draft for vote (CDV). Had the higher charge limit been approved, it would Zgliczynski noted that some countries that voted against the have served as a model for individual countries to 500-g standard in the FDIS voting had not participated in the enact their own standards. “I don’t expect any country CDV process. to make its own local standard to address this problem,” said Zgliczynski. “I’m upset that some people who voted against didn’t show up before to develop requirements that would be satisfac- The standard, had it passed, would have also wid- tory to them,” said Zgliczynski. “They showed up only in the ened the use of A2 and A2L refrigerants. Only very last vote.” He added that some manufacturers of commercial small systems can operate with 150 g of A2Ls, said refrigeration equipment also “didn’t show up enough.” Zgliczynski,

Zgliczynski declined to cite any particular group that lob- THREE OPTIONS FOR HYDROCARBONS bied against the charge increase, saying that each National Committee has “its own opinions and ideas.” He did note that The negative vote does not necessarily herald the end the safety of flammable refrigerants was a concern in the U.S. of the road for a higher charge limit for hydrocarbons. and Japan, though risk assessments showed that the requirements for the higher charge made it safer than the current Zgliczynski outlined three options that could be 150-g charge limit. adopted by the SC 61C committee. One is that the Working Group will continue the standards-making process, first by addressing the comments made in the recent vote. Danielle Wright, NASRC

A second option is that the higher charge limit could be published as a “technical specification” rather than as a standard. “For me, this is not solving the problem,” Zgliczynski said. And finally, the attempt to raise the charge could be cancelled, though even then it could be revived at a later point.

Zgliczynski hopes to get the charge issue on the agenda at the next plenary meeting of the SC 61C, which will take place May 28-29 in Vienna. The meeting was originally scheduled to address safety improvements in household fridges, including better back-panel materials and upgraded capacitors.

If the Working Group resumes addressing the charge issue, it would take “years, not months” to get to another final vote, said Zgliczynski. “It’s very difficult to predict how long the process can take.” MG & MB

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CB-FullPg.indd 1 4/24/19 3:25 PM 26 // Policy

IIAR’S ‘HUGE OPPORTUNITY’ WITH HYDROCARBONS

Code consultant Jeff Shapiro thinks the trade group can offer safety guidelines for flammable refrigerants where ASHRAE and code bodies fall short

– By Michael Garry

he International Institute of Ammonia The abundance of codes “is weighing Refrigeration (IIAR) has carved out a down the ability to use those refriger- THERE ARE T reputation as the primary source of ants,” Shapiro said at the IIAR Natural information on the safe use of ammonia Refrigeration Conference & Expo, held in A LOT OF in industrial, and increasingly, commercial refriger- Phoenix Match 4-6. ” ation. Its standards, such as IIAR-2, have been widely adopted by international code bodies. And while ASHRAE and the mechanical PLACES codes allow 150 g charges of hydrocar- But IIAR sees itself as a trade group that also bons in indoor display cases as well as WHERE WE addresses other natural refrigerants. For exam- outside applications, “they offer very ple, in March, it released a 128-page safety stan- little guidance on how to do it safely,” CAN CLEARLY dard for CO2 closed-circuit systems, and collected said Shapiro. comments on the standard during an initial public review period that ended on April 15. (See “IIAR’s Moreover, he added, ASHRAE-15 “is pri- STEP IN TO New Natural Refrigerant Safety Standards,” marily a design document. It doesn’t Accelerate America, March 2019.) touch on installation and other rules. So there are a lot of places where we can ASSIST AND Now, IIAR has turned its attention to hydrocarbon clearly step in to assist and not step on refrigerants. It has begun work on a safety stan- ASHRAE’s toes.” NOT STEP ON dard for flammable (A3) hydrocarbons in commercial and industrial applications, including chillers In particular, he pointed out that IIAR ASHRAE’S and heat pumps (not store display cases). could develop rules for supplemental design, installation, commissioning, Hydrocarbons like propane and isobutane are operation, ITM (inspection, testing and TOES. becoming more widespread in a host of applica- maintenance), decommissioning and „ tions due to their near-zero GWPs. Can IIAR estab- RAGAGEP (recognized and generally lish itself as an authority on the safe use of hydro- accepted good engineering practices). carbon refrigerants? “Those are all fair game,” he said.

Jeff Shapiro, president of International Code SAFETY FIRST Consultants, and a consultant for IIAR, thinks there is a “huge opportunity” to do so by supporting Shapiro stressed that in its standards existing guidelines in the ASHRAE-15 standard and development for hydrocarbons, IIAR other codes. needs to keep the safety issues surround- ing flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants Overall, A3 and A2L refrigerants are governed by top of mind. He pointed out that, unlike ASHRAE-15, one building code, two mechanical natural gas and propane piped through codes and two fire codes. buildings, hydrocarbon refrigerants are

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Policy // 27

AS WE STEP INTO THE JEFF’S CODES UPDATE A3 WORLD, WE NEED The international code bodies, which over- ” see safety standards for refrigeration and other systems, develop their codes well TO REMEMBER THAT in advance of adoption, and are currently working on the 2021 editions.

WE UNDERSTAND THE At the IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Expo, held in Phoenix, Ariz., REFRIGERATION WORLD March 4- 6, Jeff Shapiro, president of International Code Consultants, and a code – AND WE ALSO NEED consultant for IIAR, offered an update on progress toward 2021 codes.

TO GET INTO THE FIRE IFC (International Fire Code), IMC (International Mechanical Code) and IBC PROTECTION WORLD. „ (International Building Code) are done. NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 1 is up to public comments.

not “odorized” and therefore are not self-alarming (in contrast UMC (Uniform Mechanical Code) will be to ammonia, which has a natural odor and is difficult to ignite). done this year following public comments.

“Do we really want to advance the presence of odorless flam- IIAR has had a great deal of success mable gases where people live, work and sleep?” he said. getting its ammonia wstandards adopted, “How will occupants know if a dangerous situation develops?” not only by in ASHRAE-15, but by model code organizations. This puts a premium on maintaining a functioning leak-de- tection system, he noted, adding that most people are lax in For example, the IIAR-2 safety standard is checking their smoke alarms. now referenced by the 2021 IFC, the 2021 IMC, the 2020 NFPA, the 2020 NFPA 70 NEC “As we step into the A3 world, we need to remember that we (National Electrical Code), and is in the pro- understand the refrigeration world – and we also need to get cess of being referenced by the 2021 UMC. into the fire protection world,” he said. “The two need to exist Other IIAR standards are also cited by the in harmony.” code bodies.

Shapiro expressed similar safety concerns about A2L refrig- In the case of the IFC, IIAR-2 is now equiva- erants, which are flammable but not easily ignited, with a lent, not subordinate, to ASHRAE-15, noted maximum burning velocity of 10 cm/s. “They are supposedly Shapiro, adding that he plans to get rid of too slow to explode or sustain combustion, and lab tests say any regulation of ammonia refrigeration in they are safe with ventilation, but you can’t ignore them.” the 2024 IFC edition.

He noted that in ASHRAE-15-2016, A2Ls are permitted in Some changes in the 2021 IFC pertaining human comfort systems and industrial refrigeration; the res- to refrigeration include: stationary fire idential standard is “in process.” A2Ls are allowed in UL list- extinguishers are waived for warehouses ings for small equipment via UL’s 60335-2-40 standard. primarily accessed by forklifts and powered trucks, if the forklifts and trucks are Shapiro thinks IIAR is up to the task of tackling flammable equipped with the extinguishers; emer- refrigerants. IIAR has already demonstrated with ammonia gency pressure control systems are only refrigeration that it’s possible to promote a refrigerant that is required for machinery rooms; and atmo- good for the environment while addressing safety issues, he spheric release evaluations no longer noted. “And I sincerely believe we will do the same as we move require fire and environmental evaluations. forward with other natural refrigerants. We have a path to do that, and it’s probably the next step for our industry.” MG

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 28 // Policy

U.S. APPEALS COURT MAINTAINS BAN ON HFC REPLACEMENTS

Following 2017 precedent, court partially nullifies EPA SNAP Rule 21, leaving HFC prohibition in new ODS retrofits

— By Michael Garry

rawing on a similar 2017 include cold-storage warehouses, cer- COMPLICATED QUESTIONS decision, a three-judge tain chillers, household refrigerators D panel in the U.S. Court of and freezers, retail food processing and Christina Starr, climate policy analyst Appeal for the District of dispensing equipment, and foam-blow- for the Environmental Investigation Columbia Circuit on April 5 partially ing uses. Agency (EIA), noted that the new ruling vacated a 2016 U.S. Environmental on SNAP Rule 21 raises the possibility Protection Agency (EPA) rule that But the court deferred to its previ- that the EPA could leave HFC bans intact banned the use of high-GWP HFC ous ruling, made in August 2017 in in cases where there are systems using refrigerants in certain applications. the case Mexichem Fluor, Inc. v. EPA, ODS. “It seems like common sense, if that the EPA cannot require compa- you're an owner of a cold storage facil- But the rule – EPA’s SNAP (Significant nies to replace HFCs with low-GWP ity, to just opt for refrigerants that aren't New Alternatives Policy) Rule 21 – substances under the agency’s 2015 subject to these complicated regulatory was only nullified “to the extent that SNAP Rule 20. Under Rule 20, HFCs questions,” she said. it requires manufacturers to replace could not be used in a variety of retail HFCs that were previously and lawfully food refrigeration applications, among Meanwhile, some pending actions may substituted for ozone-depleting sub- others, after specified dates. yet impact the final disposition of the stances (ODS).” EPA’s ability to regulate HFCs. Last The Court of Appeals declined to reverse year the Natural Resources Defense Notably, the court left in place the part that ruling on appeal, and the U.S. Council and a coalition of 11 Attorneys of the rule that classified HFCs as unac- Supreme Court later declined to hear the General separately sued the EPA over ceptable substitutes for ODS in equip- case. The reversal of the SNAP rule has its decision to completely void SNAP ment in which the ODS have not yet been since roiled the U.S. HVAC&R industry, Rule 20’s regulations pertaining to the removed, affirming the EPA’s authority leading California to adopt SNAP Rules use of HFCs. to change the status of an ODS substi- 20 and 21, with other states follow- tute from safe to prohibited. ing suit. (See, “The Policy Quagmire,” And EPA said last year that it would Accelerate America, June-July 2018.) begin a notice-and-comment rulemak- The court’s decision came in response ing process to “address the remand of to a request made last month by U.S. “We concluded that [section 612 of the the 2015 rule.” chemical manufacturers Honeywell Clean Air Act] does not grant the EPA International and Chemours, along authority to place such a burden on “We support the legal challenge to with the Natural Resources Defense manufacturers,” the court said in the EPA’s guidance that fully revoked Rule Council, to maintain the EPA’s author- new ruling. However, the court noted 20 pending a proposed rule,” said Starr. ity to ban high-GWP HFCs in certain that the 2017 decision “sustained as "The court's decision was only a partial applications covered in SNAP Rule well-reasoned the EPA’s decision to ban vacature, so revoking the entire rule with 21, enacted in 2017 during the Obama further substitution of ozone-depleting no proposal to replace it was unlawful." administration. Those applications substances with certain HFCs.” MG

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 The World’s Largest Meeting Dedicated to the Natural Refrigeration Industry!

Visit www.iiar.org/events for more details.

227599_IIAR_2020ConfAd.indd 1 2/7/19 2:19 PM 30 // Policy

part of a series administration to leave the global Paris of bills address- climate-change accord. (See, “The As ing climate Policy Quagmire,” Accelerate America, Washington change, the June-July 2018.) Washington state legislature on April 22 (Earth Day) passed The states addressing HFC reduction are House Bill 1112, which phases coalescing around efforts spearheaded out the use of HFCs in various by California, which last year passed the State applications and calls for a California Cooling Act. That bill incorpo- study of how to increase the use rates HFC regulations abandoned by the of products that do not contain U.S. Environmental Protection Agency HFCs. (See https://bit.ly/2I- (EPA) and calls for incentives for natu- Legislature Uq0Lu for complete bill.) ral refrigerant equipment. “It falls to the states to provide leadership on address- The bill passed 30-19, with every ing hydrofluorocarbons,” said the text of Democrat supporting it, along House Bill 1112. “Doing so will not only with two Republicans. It then help the climate, but will help American Passes went to Governor Jay Inslee, businesses retain their positions as who supports climate change global leaders in air conditioning and legislation and is running for the refrigerant technologies.” Democratic party nomination HFC- for U.S. president on a platform $959,000 to phase out HFCs largely focused on addressing climate change. Last December, Inslee unveiled a $273 million climate action plan – including In a tweet, Inslee thanked the $959,000 to phase out HFCs – that would Reduction Washington legislature for reduce greenhouse gases to 25% below agreeing to phase down use 1990 levels by 2035. (See “Washington of “super-polluting hydroflu- Governor Proposes Cutting HFCs,” orocarbons,” in particular cit- Accelerate America, January 2018.) Bill ing state representative Joe Fitzgibbon and state senator House Bill 1112 puts Washington state Reven Carlyle. “This bill had on a course to phase down HFCs “in tremendous support from the a manner similar to the regulations private sector [and] I look for- adopted by the [EPA] and that have ward to more states taking been subsequently adopted or will Bill calls for study of ways to action on HFCs through [the be adopted in several other states boost use of products with alter- U.S. Climate Alliance].” around the country.” The EPA regulations include SNAP (Significant New native refrigerants, following The bill describes HFCs as “air Alternatives Policy) Rules 20 and 21, California’s lead pollutants that pose significant which stipulated the delisting of high- threats to our environment,” GWP HFCs in a variety of applications. – By Michael Garry adding that “safer alternatives The bill prohibits the sale or lease of for the most damaging hydroflu- equipment using those HFCs. orocarbons are readily available and cost-effective.” The law also calls for the state's Department of Ecology, in consulta- Washington is the latest mem- tion with the Department of Commerce ber of the U.S. Climate Alliance, and the Utilities and Transportation a bipartisan coalition of 23 state Commission, to complete a report by governors (and the governor December 1, 2020, that recommends of Puerto Rico) co-founded by how to “increase the use of refrigerants Inslee, to commit to phasing with a low global warming potential in down the use of HFCs. The other mobile sources, utility equipment and states are California, New York, consumer appliances” and incentivize Maryland and Connecticut. The “the elimination of legacy uses of hydro- alliance formed in response fluorcarbons.” MG to the decision by the Trump

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 PolicyPolicy // // 31 31

he California Air incorporates former EPA rules) and Resources Board other programs. CARB T (CARB) is seeking feedback from stake- CARB is now proposing stricter regu- holders as it proceeds to lations, including a 750-GWP cap for develop regulations that will stationary air conditioners by Jan 1, cap the GWP of refrigerants 2023, a 150-GWP cap for refrigeration Seeks used in new air conditioning systems with more than 50 lbs of refrig- and refrigeration systems, as erant by January 1, 2022, and a ban on well as the GWP of virgin refrig- sales of virgin refrigerants with a GWP erant supplies. above a threshold – currently 1,500 – by Stakeholder January 1, 2022. In a webinar hosted on April 16 by the U.S. Environmental The refrigeration system proposal could Protection’s GreenChill pro- include a 1,500-GWP limit for some gram, representatives of CARB smaller systems, and a possible exemp- Feedback also encouraged stakehold- tion for hybrid systems. In the refriger- ers to contact members of ant ban there would be an exception for the California legislature to R410A used in air conditioning. express support for funding of incentives for natural refrigera- on GWP PUBLIC INPUT THIS YEAR tion systems. An incentive program was established by the CARB plans to continue workshops California Cooling Act (SB 1013) and stakeholder meeting, and seek but still requires funding to be public input in 2019 as it develops HFC Refrigerant allocated by the legislature rulemakings. Board consideration of from the state’s Greenhouse GWP limits in new AC and refrigeration Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). equipment is expected in late 2019 to (See “California Passes Cooling early 2020, said Richie Kaur, air pollu- Caps Act,” Accelerate America, tion specialist at CARB. September 2018.) One of the issues CARB is looking at “It’s up to end users, OEMs in regard to the 750-GWP cap on new The California agency, which is and distributors to make their AC systems is how it should track wishes known to the senate and compliance. Methods under consider- setting GWP limits for new AC assembly,” said Glenn Gallagher, ation include labels, recordkeeping and and refrigeration systems, also air quality scientist at CARB. reporting. “We seek stakeholder feed- Elected officials, he added, usu- back to develop the most robust regula- urges HVAC&R stakeholders to ally listen to their constituents tion possible,” said Kinett. push for incentive funding with or “people who ask the loudest and most often.” Another issue about which CARB would state legislators like to hear from stakeholders is whether Kathryn Kinett, air pollution “new systems” would include just new – By Marie Battesti and Michael Garry specialist at CARB, suggested construction, or also replacements in that stakeholders could con- existing stores, noted Kaur. CARB is tact trade associations to get also still taking stakeholder input on the the contact details of relevant GWP limit for its ban on virgin refriger- elected officials. ants, she added.

California aims to cut HFC emis- The three CARB officials can be reached sions in the state, now at about at: [email protected]; kath- 20 million metric tons of CO2e, [email protected]; and richie.kaur@ by 50% as of 2030. To accom- arb.ca.gov. MG plish that, the state is using a multi-pronged approach, including regulations CARB adopted in March 2018, SB 1013 (which

AprilApril - -May May 2019 2019 // // Accelerate Accelerate America America 32 // Event R290 SETTLES IN FOR CABINET OEMS

Having made the covers 65%-70% of its warranty work, South America to Anheuser-Busch, part transition to propane with the rest coming from third-party of world’s biggest beer manufacturer, technicians, Cho said. AB InBev. refrigerant, Turbo air and Fogel see stable market Turbo air sells hydrocarbon units to such “We've done that for a while,” Federico outlets as 7- Eleven, CVS, Burger King, Barquero Tefel, vice president of com- with major customers Wendy’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, through mercialization for Fogel said at the dealers or directly to franchisees and NAFEM Show. “And everything we've – By Charlotte McLaughlin and corporate offices, he said. forwarded to them has been R290.” Michael Garry The company’s hydrocarbon units are The coolers are used in sports stadi- 20% more efficient than HFC equip- ums and at retail outlets in U.S. states ment, Cho said; seventy-five models that allow branded equipment to be comply with ENERGY STAR 4.0 effi- displayed. The units chill the beverages he NAFEM (North American ciency standard. down to 25°F to produce “really cold Association of Food Equi- beer,” he said. T pment Manufacturers) A key foundation of its technology Show, held every other year, is a self- cleaning condenser, which Howard McCray, a manufacturer based has served as a platform for a includes a fine mesh filter at the front in Philadelphia, Pa., owns and distrib- number of stand-alone refrigeration to catch dust, and a rotating brush that utes Fogel units in the U.S. manufacturers to highlight their moves up and down once a day to push transition from HFC refrigerants to the excess build-up out of the unit. When Fogel began selling R290 coolers hydrocarbons propane and, in some in 2010, some contained refrigeration instances, isobutane. The company plans to transition away circuits in a cassette that could be eas- from HFCs in its blowing foams, accord- ily removed for servicing and replaced In this final installment of coverage of ing to Daniel Kwon, supermarket equip- by another module. But because that the 2019 NAFEM Show, held February ment sales manager for Texaking, Grand model comes with a 12%-18% higher 7-9 in Orlando, Fla., two major exhibi- Prairie, Texas, part of the Turbo air price tag, Fogel largely sells split units. tors, Turbo Air and Fogel, discuss the group. “We will be changing to cyclo- growing maturity of the market for R290 pentane,” Kwon said. The cassette models helped to “break units. (For the previous installment, the ice” for people concerned about see “NAFEM Show Highlights, Part 2, FOGEL’S BEER COOLERS FIND flammability of R290, he said. “The cas- Accelerate America, March 2019.) sette introduced [R290] to the market. HOME IN STADIUMS Now people feel more comfortable and Guatemala-based Fogel is selling pro- SERVICE NO LONGER AN have moved over to the split system.” pane-cooled beer coolers in North and MG & CM ISSUE FOR TURBO AIR Turbo air, a Long Beach, Calif.-based manufacturer, says foodservice and R290 Turbo air unit food retail end users using its hydrocarbon-based fridges are no longer worried about the availability of technicians to service the units.

“The technicians are trained,” said Dan Cho, COO of Turbo air, at the NAFEM Show. “It’s not a big deal.”

Turbo air completely transitioned its product line in 2018 to hydrocarbons, including R290 and R600a, the latest in a series of U.S. OEMs that have converted to hydrocarbon refrigerants.

The company runs its own service network across 13 U.S. branches, which

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Natural Alternatives to HFCs are the Smart Choice in Refrigerants...

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Better products. www.foamsupplies.com Better for the environment. 34 // Event

VILTER PREPARES FOR RELEASE OF LOW-CHARGE AMMONIA PACKAGE

The Modular Rooftop Unit employs CO2 or glycol as a secondary fluid

– By Charlotte McLaughlin and Michael Garry

ilter Manufacturing, a subsidiary of The company initially said the ammo- ammonia condenses CO2. An advan-

Emerson, will release its NH3/CO2/glycol nia charge would be under 200 lbs, but tage of that configuration is that in V packaged Modular Rooftop Unit (MRU) is still working on getting down to the the event that CO2 and ammonia acci- later this year, following a series of tests “lowest possible charge,” said Wehber. dentally mix to form system-clogging at Vilter’s headquarters in Cudahy, Wis. ammonium carbonate in one skid, the The MRU ranges in capacity from other takes over. The penthouse unit is the latest low-charge-am- 55-85 TR for freezing, 28-40 TR for monia packaged unit to enter the marketplace blast freezing, 75 TR for coolers, and Vilter elected to use an air-cooled con- as industrial end users seek safer, smaller and 95 TR for docks. The unit contains two denser because “water usage is more more flexible systems that reduce their regula- ammonia circuits for redundancy, each of an issue,” Chafee explained. “For an tory responsibility. with a 143-mm single-screw compres- 80 ton load running 6,000 hours a year, sor designed to operate with a variable you're going to use 1.3 million gallons of The Vilter modular unit has been designed to offer frequency drive. It also features: an air- water with the a fluid cooler or evapo- end users a choice between a glycol-based sec- cooled condenser on the roof, evapora- rative condenser. That's a lot of water.” ondary system serving coolers and docks, and a tors in the penthouse rather than hang-

CO2 secondary system for low-temperature appli- ing evaporators that would take up Vilter sees the MRU being employed in cations. In both cases, ammonia does not enter the storage space; two glycol pumps; and the retrofit market and in expansions refrigerated space. four to six CO2 semi-hermetic recipro- as well as new construction. It can be cating compressors. employed as a “plug-and-play package, “The industry is changing, so we designed this or components can be used individually. product with [the market] in mind,” said Gary Each of the ammonia skids comes with CM & MG Chafee, district sales manager, Vilter, in a presen- its own cascade heat exchanger, where tation at the IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Expo, held in Phoenix March 4-6. Single-screw Vilter compressor used in low-charge Modular Rooftop Unit “Obviously we have a low-charge system so we have helped reduce the leak rate, compliance costs and regulatory burdens dramatically,” Chafee said.

Series of tests Vilter introduced the MRU at the 2018 IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Expo. (See “IIAR Highlights Low Charge,” Accelerate America, April 2018.) Since then the company has conducted a series of tests on the ammonia and

CO2 skids; the last tests are on the cascade heat exchanger and the defrost system. “We are happy with the modifications we made to the unit,” said Wayne Wehber, VP business development, Vilter, who also spoke at the 2019 IIAR event.

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ICR2019_AA_ad_FINAL.indd 1 2019-04-17 8:46 AM 36 // End User SHOULD GROCERS FEAR AMMONIA?

No, say the people involved in four of the five ammonia/CO2 systems installed (or soon to be installed) at U.S. supermarkets, though initial cost remains a significant hurdle

– By Charlotte McLaughlin and Michael Garry

o date there are only four U.S. supermar- “From a safety standpoint it was literally laughable to [the fire kets – five by the end of the year – that department] that we were concerned about having [300 lbs T have been willing to install a refrigera- of] ammonia in a grocery store,” said Richard Heath, director tion system that uses ammonia, along of enterprise energy and sustainability, Insight Sourcing, who with CO2. This makes an NH3/CO2 system one of worked for Supervalu when it opened the first NH3/CO2 store the most unusual of natural refrigeration technolo- (an Albertsons) in Carpinteria, Calif., in 2012. (Albertsons now gies (propane/CO2 is in only one Whole Foods owns the store.) Store), despite the efficiency and environmental advantages it offers.

The reason for this is twofold: fear and cost. The fear stems from ammonia’s toxic properties as well as the noxious odor it exudes; an ammonia leak is not something that most grocers would happily FROM A SAFETY contemplate. As for cost, ammonia/CO2 systems typically run 150% higher than that of conventional DX supermarket systems, according to Keilly STANDPOINT IT WAS Witman, owner of KW Refrigerant Management ” Strategy, a Boise, Idaho-based consultancy, and former manager of the Environmental Protection LITERALLY LAUGHABLE Agency’s GreenChill program. TO [THE FIRE But the fear factor may be overblown, said four panellists at a discussion of these systems at the DEPARTMENT] THAT International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) Natural Refrigeration Conference and Expo, held March 4-6 in Phoenix. The discussion, hosted WE WERE CONCERNED by Witman, included speakers who have worked with three of the four existing NH3/CO2 stores ABOUT HAVING [300 – operated by Whole Foods Market, Albertsons and the Defense Commissary Agency – and with LBS OF] AMMONIA IN A a Raley’s NH3/CO2 store that will open later this year. (A Piggly Wiggly store operated by JTM Corp., which uses this system, was not represented.) GROCERY STORE. „ While the retailers who ventured into testing ammo- – Richard Heath, Insight Sourcing nia had some trepidations about the refrigerant, they found their concerns were mostly dismissed by the local Authority with Jurisdiction (AHJ) or fire official.

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 End User // 37

“The fire department laughed us off in terms of our concerns with the potential safety of the system,” Coffin explained. “They were fine for whatever we intended to do in large part because there was more serious precedent on the industrial side.”

RALEY’S UNORTHODOX SYSTEM Ed Estberg, a refrigeration consultant for Raley’s who served as senior director of facilities for the Californian chain from 1989 to 2009, has helped it develop its own unorthodox system that employs

ammonia DX with liquid overfeed CO2 and no CO2 compressors. He expects the Sacramento store with the system to open in October. (See “Raley’s

Opts for Ammonia/CO2 in Most New Stores, Accelerate America, September 2018.)

“All the mechanical heating and cooling in our building is tied to our system,” said Estberg. “We have capacity for everything from ice cream to I RECOMMEND YOU air conditioning.” Raley’s was motivated to develop the all-natural ” FORGET ABOUT THE refrigeration system because of the expectation that California’s Air Resources Board will cap the GWP of refrigerants in commercial systems at 150. INTERIM STEPS AND (See page 31.)

GO RIGHT TO “When California first announced two years ago that we had to be under 150 GWP, I went to the ZERO [GWP]. [Raley’s] ownership and said you really don't have a choice,” Estberg said. “You can go to a lower GWP

„ and then in five years they're going to come at you – Ed Estberg, Raley’s again. So instead of being 150, it's going to be 99 and that is going to be a 50. I said let's just go to zero and they agreed with that.”

The Carpinteria store, which was also the first all-natural refrigerant California’s fire and mechanical codes are paving

store in the U.S., uses ammonia on the roof on the high side with CO2 the way for ammonia in commercial applications. circulated in the store in a cascade configuration. It also employs a “It's very clear that they expect that to happen,” redundant R407A system to run energy-efficiency comparisons with the said Estberg. The chain, he added, “got no com-

ammonia/CO2 system. ments from the fire department.”

Heath acknowledged that Supervalu had been “overly concerned” Estberg urged other supermarket operators in because of the “horror stories” about ammonia, stemming from the California to make up their minds about the type time when it was replaced by synthetic refrigerants in some appli- of refrigeration system they will use after the state cations. “We truly thought we were going to have an uphill battle in enacts its new GWP rules. “I recommend you for- California for permitting.” get about the interim steps and go right to zero [GWP].” Outside of California, other U.S. states are Tristam Coffin, director of sustainability and facilities, Whole Food following California’s model in regulating HFCs. Market's Northern California region, had a similar experience when (See page 30.) “Certainly within 10 years everybody

opening an ammonia/CO2 cascade store at a Dublin, Calif., location four in this room's going to be faced with it; I don't care years ago. where you are in the United States,” he said.

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 38 // End User

The U.S. Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) – the Heath pointed out that the Carpinteria store was a “proof-of-concept” worldwide “supermarket to the military” – installed implementation in 2012, and that greater demand for the technology an ammonia/CO2 cascade system at its Lackland will be needed to create economies of scale and lower prices. Take LED Air Force Base commissary in San Antonio, Texas, lights, he said. “Some supermarkets put them into freezer cases, and in 2014, replacing an aging R404A system. Given luckily we had an end user that said build it and we will buy it. The volume the store’s proximity to day care center, a church is what makes LED lights now affordable for us.” and shopping center, the installation has a keen focus on safety. It separates the 81-lb ammonia Coffin concurred. “I think economies of scale is the biggest piece that

charge on the roof into nine separate modules, we need to recognize,” he said, adding that Whole Foods’ ammonia/CO2 such that a leak from any one module would pose installation carried a 102% premium over the baseline cost of an R407 DX a minimal hazard. system with adiabatic condensers.

Nonetheless, the project met considerable resis- Reflecting that the session on supermarket refrigeration – organized tance from the base, including a maintenance by the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council – was taking representative who “was almost pounding his fist place at an industrial refrigeration conference, Coffin suggested that on the table saying, 'not on my base,'” said Rob there’s a “great opportunity” for commercial and industrial systems to Arthur, director of refrigeration engineering, CTA be manufactured together to create favorable economies. “Obviously the Architects Engineers, who worked on DeCA’s systems and sizes are going to be very different but I think there are still

ammonia/CO2 project. some opportunities in that space.”

To allay their concerns, CTA did a “plume study” examining a worst-case scenario in which 100 lbs of ammonia would be released at once under the least favorable conditions, a cold foggy day. The study found that “by the time that amount of ammonia could reach anywhere there would be [people], there would only be an odor; there was no health hazard,” said Arthur.

Once the results were explained to the base per- sonnel, coupled with the sustainable benefits of theysystem, “they really got on board,” he added.

Arthur thinks the fear factor regarding ammonia has been overcome. “You can do them without a risk to operators in the store or the shoppers,” he said. “I think there's space for these kinds of systems.”

With local authorities satisfied with the safety of the ammonia/CO2 systems, both Heath and Coffin have found that the insurance costs asso- I THINK ECONOMIES ciated with the systems are no different than for other refrigerants. ” OF SCALE IS THE THE COST OBSTACLE BIGGEST PIECE While anxiety about ammonia appears to be an obstacle that can be overcome, the high cost of THAT WE NEED TO ammonia/CO2 systems remains a major deterrent to the implementation of these systems by food retailers, who operate in the very low-margin gro- RECOGNIZE. cery business. „

– Tristam Coffin, Whole Foods Market

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 End User // 39

In its initial ammonia/CO2 installation, Raley’s YOU CAN DO THEM is receiving a rebate of $250,000 from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), of WITHOUT A RISK TO which $150,000 is for installing a natural refrig- ” erant system, and $100,000 for improved energy efficiency.See ( “Game Changer, Accelerate America, OPERATORS IN THE STORE May 2017.) That would cover most of the premium, OR THE SHOPPERS. but only for the first store. Some of the ammonia/CO2 systems in supermar- „ kets have demonstrated energy-saving capabilities – Rob Arthur, CTA Architects Engineers just via the refrigeration. At a Piggly Wiggly store in Columbus, Ga., operated by JTM Corp., Heatcraft Worldwide Refrigeration found that the ammonia rack consumed 22% less energy on average than an HFC rack in the same store during a four-month period. (See “Energy Savings Continues at Piggly Wiggly,” Accelerate America, January 2017.)

At the Carpinteria store, Supervalu was able to compare the energy consumption of the ammonia/

CO2 system and the redundant R407A system, and found the former 12%-16% more efficient than the latter, said Heath.

Other stores were not as successful on the energy

side. Arthur said the DeCA ammonia/CO2 system achieved “energy parity” with a “finely tuned” R407A or R449A system. Whole Foods found that

its ammonia/CO2 system performed less efficiently

than other systems, including a transcritical CO2,

propane/CO2 and R407A distributed.

Witman asked the panellists whether sustainable

ammonia/CO2 refrigeration systems could be per- Raley’s is in a different situation because Estberg has designed the sys- ceived as a “competitive advantage” that should tem, saving Raley’s a considerable amount of money. He said its cost is be publicized.

driven by the price of the liquid CO2 overfeed racks. Heath noted that neither the Carpinteria store

All told, he calculated that the cost of the ammonia/CO2 system would nor Whole Foods’ multiple natural refrigerant run 15% more than that of a standard system – or about $300,000 more stores are well known to the public for their envi- than a $2 million system. In estimating the payback on that premium, he ronmentally progressive refrigeration systems. includes not only energy but also water and natural gas, which will be “I think you should toot your own horn,” he said. reduced by the use of heat reclaim for domestic hot water. His “long-term “If you're doing a great job with anything, that analysis” is that Raley’s will save about $35,000 per year in utility costs, should be recognized.” producing a payback over 8.6 years (which he rounded to 10 years). Coffin pointed out that the Project Drawdown study Typically the supermarket industry looks for a three-year payback period. cited synthetic refrigerants as the number one cli- However, even a 10-year payback “isn't such a bad thing when you really mate impact. Replacing them with natural refrig- start looking at total cost of ownership,” Coffin said. “Ideally your system erants is “a story that’s been tough to tell but one will be operating for 15-20 years.” that I think we're all trying to achieve.” CM & MG

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 40 // End User

Lidl France banking on propane

In August 2018, Lidl France perating some 1,500 stores used R404A), according to a 2012 study opened its first supermarket to throughout France, and conducted by UK-based environmental 0 employing some 35,000 peo- consultants SKM Enviros. use propane for 100% of refrig- ple, 25-year-old Lidl France is eration, creating a standard for acutely aware of the responsibility it “This implies that supermarkets are the shares to help put the world on a more largest consumers of HFCs in Europe,” new stores environmentally sustainable footing. the SKM Enviros study said. That very much includes HVAC&R, which represents a significant proption Another report, produced in 2016 by ― By Andrew Williams of any food retailer’s carbon footprint. Swedish research institute KTH for the EU-funded SuperSmart project, found In 2010, Europe’s commercial refriger- that 18%-30% of annual carbon-equiv- ation sector represented 40% of refrig- alent emissions in European super- erant consumption, 85% of which was markets are attributed to their choice attributed to large refrigeration sys- of refrigerants. tems in supermarkets (which primarily

Lidl France is expects to have 250 propane stores by the end of its fiscal year.

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 End User // 41

Propane cases in Lidl Valenton, the first Lidl France store to be 100% propane-based.

Against this background, Lidl France 100 stores per year. And by 2022, Lidl Moreover, installing plug-in and remote decided to act. In August 2018, Lidl France expects around 50% of it's 1,500- semi plug-in cabinets avoids the need Valenton in the Paris region (Créteil) store portfolio to be equipped with pro- for a centralized refrigeration plant. became the first Lidl France store to use pane-based cooling equipment. "What we’re doing is decentralizing propane (R290) for 100% of its refriger- prduction,” Rehab noted. ation needs. “Since then and from now German roots on, our strategy is for all new stores to be The retailer is also acting out of concern 100% propane-based,” said Nabil Rehab, Lidl France is part of Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG, for the climate. “The impact of HFCs on project manager – refrigeration systems, founded in 1930 by Joseph Schwarz and the environment today is significant. Lidl France. headquartered in Neckarsulm, Germany. Rami said. "They make a major contribu- tion to the greenhouse effect, and that’s The retailer is also changing its cases in The parent company operates over 10,000 why climate science requires them to be existing stores to propane. By the end stores across 28 European countries and phased down. We want to stay one step of the fiscal year 2018 (which ended in the United States. Its chairman and CEO, ahead of that curve. February 2019), it had converted the cool- Dieter Schwarz, also holds the same posi- ing cabinets to propane in 40 stores. tions in hypermarket chain Kaufland. Cost is another factor. Lidl France estimates that the cost of HFCs has “This fiscal year, we’ll convert an addi- Lidl first used propane as a refrigerant in increased four times in recent years. tional 10% of our stores, pursue a program 2016, when it tested a propane system in a “Part of the reason for this is that it’s of ‘store transfer,' and open new stores supermarket in Munich, Germany. Having brutally overtaxed,” said Rehab. “By

using propane,” said Yassine Rami, head of initially also considered CO2, Lidl ulti- choosing propane, we’re anticipating department (purchasing and store invest- mately selected propane. such issues. ments) at Lidl France.. What motivated Lidl France to follow suit But the move to propane, he added, was “In total, we’ll have 250 propane stores by and also adopt propane? Propane doesn’t not driven primarily by economic con- the end of this fiscal year,” Rami explained. just reduce Lidl France’s greenhouse gas siderations. "It was environmental." emissions – it also delivers energy savings, Going forward, the retailer intends to Rehab said. change the cooling equipment in around

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 42 // End User

Even manufacturers recognize Lidl France’s commitment to sustainability. “The choice that Lidl has made for natural The objective is to no refrigerants – not just in refrigerated cabinets but also for frozen goods, for cold longer use HFCs – they’re stores, and so on – is ideological,” said Sylvain Gillaux, managing director (France) polluting, there’s going to be at Hauser, an Austrian OEM and cooling furniture maker that provides Lidl France less and less of them, and with cabinets. “Lidl has decided that it must use natural refrigerants, for environ- they’re really expensive. mental reasons.” – Yassine Rami, Lidl France Gillaux also praised the retailer for its business acumen. “What Lidl France has done is rare – it organizes regular meetings between the frigoristes (refrigeration technicians), the technology providers, and Lidl France itself,” he said. “Lidl France plays a kind of ‘gentleman organizer’ role Gillaux also stressed the impor- exploiting the safe and efficient appli- to ensure that everyone is aligned, and to tance of training France’s frig- cation of hydrocarbon refrigerants in make their vision concrete.” oristes to use natural refriger- the commercial refrigeration sector. ant-based technologies. “This But an effort to raise the limit to 500 g doesn’t just take place in train- recently fell short. (See page 22). ing institutes. Manufacturers Our strategy is for all such as us hold training ses- “Clearly, the furniture would be cheaper sions on new technologies,” if the rules were adapted to allow up to new stores to be 100% he said. 500 g in a single circuit,” Rehab said. “The update would have allowed us to reduce the equipment acquisition costs. propane-based. Charge concerns We’d have been able to reduce the num- – Nabil Rehab, Lidl France Regulations and safety concerns ber of circuits, compressors and heat can present obstacles to wider exchangers required.” uptake of hydrocarbons, which Lidl France’s commitment to natural refrig- are flammable substances. To strengthen the business case for erants extends to cold storage, where it natural refrigerants, Rehab stressed the

uses either CO2 or ammonia in all new For example, international stan- importance of looking at energy sav- warehouses, with a familiar objection to dard IEC 60335-2-89 limits the ings in a holistic manner, including the HFCs. “The objective is to no longer use use of flammable refrigerants in use of doors on cabinets. HFCs – they’re polluting, there’s going to hermetically sealed commercial be less and less of them, and they’re really refrigeration equipment with an Six hundred of Lidl France’s supermar- expensive,” Rami said. incorporated or remote refriger- kets already have cooling cabinets ant unit or compressor to 150g. with doors, for example. “We hope to While the positive environmental impact put doors on all our cabinets by 2022,” of choosing natural refrigerants is clear, To comply with the regulations, Rehab said. some HVAC&R practitioners believe more Lidl France uses three circuits could be done to demonstrate their eco- per cabinet. “Using three sep- The environmental and energy ben- nomic advantages to end users. arate circuits of 150 g gives us efits of using propane, wedded to the the capacity we need,” said Lidl efficiency of other measures such Gillaux thinks the onus is on manufactur- France’s Rehab. as cabinet doors, air curtains and heat ers to communicate the business case for reclaim, are a powerful combination, natural refrigerants more clearly. “Most Many stakeholders believe said Rehab. “It’s about improving the retailers would expect to make huge the 150-g limit prevents refrig- whole cold chain.” AW energy savings, if they were to take the risk eration equipment manufac- of changing to a new technology,” he said. turers and end users from fully

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NATREF HEAT PUMPS: A KEY PIECE IN A DECARBONIED FUTURE

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Cover Story // 45

As buildings seek alternatives to But that's beginning to change. fossil fuels for heating, electric Over the last four to six months, Davis has been getting “a heat pumps using CO and other lot of phone calls and emails” about a wide variety of heat 2 pump applications, particularly from multi-family apartment natural refrigerants are finding a buildings on the West and East Coasts of the U.S. seeking growing market in North America domestic hot water heaters. One example is Stuy Town, an apartment complex in Manhattan. Multi-family buildings are

considering both water-source and air-source CO2 units. – By Michael Garry

“CO2 heat pumps are great for domestic hot water heating where you take cold water and heat it to a higher temperature,” he said.

or the past decade, Troy Davis, energy In general, Davis said he is seeing “huge potential” in the group manager for Mayekawa USA U.S. for heat pump technology using CO2, and to a lesser MYCOM, has been promoting the F degree, ammonia. “The market is untapped here,” he said. Japanese company’s CO2- and ammonia- “But things are starting to line up,” though he acknowledged based heat pumps for space heating and domestic that Mayekawa needs to “fine-tune” its large Japanese units water heating in North America. to make them a better fit for the U.S. market.

But unlike in Japan and Europe, where heat pumps John Miles, general manager – eco systems, Sanden using natural refrigerants have been widely used in International (USA), said sales of home heat pumps (still NATREF commercial and residential applications, the North largely for units using R410A) are “booming” in Northeastern American market has been difficult to penetrate. “Ten U.S. states like Maine and Vermont, which are aggressively years ago, I thought we’d have thousands [in North marketing the products with rebates. But heat pumps are still America] by now,” said Davis. Instead the number is a small slice of the overall market for hot water heaters in the about 25 CO2-based UNIMO units. HEAT U.S.; for example, only 1,800 were sold in Connecticut in 2017.

Miles, who is marketing Sanden’s CO2 heat pumps for domestic water heating and space heating, has been crisscrossing the U.S. to train contractors and distributors, and raise aware- PUMPS: ness about the advantages of the technology.

For Sanden, the greatest growth for its CO2 hot water heat A KEY PIECE IN A pumps is in the commercial sector, which includes multi-family apartment buildings and restaurants, though that currently represents 40% of installed units compared to 60% for resi- DECARBONIED FUTURE dential homes.

“Multi-family homes use more hot water and typically can see a quicker ROI than residential homes,” noted Miles, adding that apartment buildings can amortize the capital cost of the equipment. Examples of multi-family homes using the Sanden equipment include Kingway Apartments in Seattle, Wash., and Edwina Benner Plaza apartments in Sunnyvale, Calif., both low-income housing complexes. (See, “Hot Water,

Courtesy of CO2” Accelerate America, January 2018.)

THE DECARBONIZATION MOVEMENT Probably the biggest driver of the new interest in heat pumps is the growing movement toward “decarbonization” and “electrification” of building heating systems – switching from natural gas, oil or propane boilers to electric heat pumps – and the development of renewal energy sources like solar and wind energy to produce electricity for utilities.

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 46 // Cover Story

SIlver Oak's winery in Healdsburg, Calif., which heats water with solar energy and CO2 heat pumps

“Utilities are interested now in electrifi- in February issued a report called “A according to the U.S. Energy Information cation [of heating in buildings],” Davis Roadmap to Decarbonize California’s Administration. But even while the grid is said. “They’re promoting heat pump Buildings” that lays out a plan for the largely linked to fossil fuels, an appliance electrification and taking gas custom- state to cut building emissions 20% in with a COP (coefficient of performance) ers off natural gas or propane.” the next six years and 40% by 2030. over 3.0 is “incrementally better [in terms In the report, the group calls for an of emissions] than burning natural gas in States, he added, will be hard-pressed increase in the share of high-efficiency the home,” said Miles. to achieve their carbon emission goals heat pumps for space heating from 5% “unless they do a lot more with heat of sales in 2018 to 50% in 2025 and 100% The effort to decarbonize homes and pumps and other technology.” in 2030. transition to electric heat pumps is being opposed by the American Gas Association In April, Energy and Environmental To make the switch to heat pumps (AGA). Richard Murphy, managing director Economics, a research firm based in possible, the California Public Utilities of energy marketing for AGA, argues that San Francisco, Calif., issued a report, Commission is implementing SB (sen- heat pumps are not competitive in colder “Residential Building Electrification in ate bill) 1477, which deploys $200 mil- parts of the U.S., according to a report in California,” which analyzed the eco- lion in incentives for manufacturers E&E News. AGA also contends that elec- nomic, environmental and electric grid and builders. trification of homes would raise average impact of converting from natural gas to home energy costs up to 46%. electricity in California homes. California is better prepared to make the transition to electrification because Miles noted that “the gas industry has The report found that building electrifi- of its high usage of renewable energy. to do everything it can to stop decarbon- cation – substituting electric technol- In 2018, California generated 34% of ization as it threatens their very future.” ogies like heat pumps for gas-burning its electricity from renewable sources He added that new technology such as ones like furnaces – “is a relatively low- (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and inverter compressors and improved con- cost, low-risk way to reduce California’s hydro), according to the California trols “are providing much better heat building-related GHG [greenhouse Energy Commission. pump performance in lower temperatures gas] emissions.” and we are slowly seeing this technology However, in the U.S. as a whole, only 17% being applied.” Another California-based group, the of electricity came from renewables Building Decarbonization Coalition, (and 19.3% from nuclear energy) in 2017,

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Cover Story // 47

The Sanden CO2 heat pump’s COP is 5.2 at an ambient temperature of 67°F, making it more efficient than other heat pumps and heating appliances. But its COP drops to 4.5 at 47°F, 3.0 at 23°F, 2.25 at 5°F and 1.6 at -20°F, which is its lowest operating temperature. Averaged over the entire winter, the COP is more favorable, noted Miles. By contrast, “the very best gas water heaters have a COP of 0.96 and can never get higher than 1.0,” he said. On the other hand, the low cost of gas makes gas water heaters overall “a wash” cost-wise compared to the Sanden heat pumps.

About 20% of Sanden’s North American installations, which number “a couple of thousand,” Miles said, are used for both radiant space heating and domestic hot water in residential homes. One homeowner in the San Francisco area who installed Sanden’s combination space heating-hot water heater system, and compared it to a previously used gas heating system, found a 74% drop in energy consumption (kBTU/day) and a 78% decline in

GHG emissions (kgCO2/day). Haley Duncan, SIlver Oak Cellars COOLING, TOO

In addition to providing heat, CO2 heat pumps are used for cooling in some applications. “Everybody looks at hot water are 30%-40% more efficient than con- Davis sees “some potential” in North and cooling as separate, but there’s a lot ventional heat pump water heaters, America for hydrocarbon-based heat of potential in water source units to inte- “we need a dedicated home owner for pumps, which have a significant pres- grate the two,” said Davis. “It really helps ours,” he said. “Water heating is a first- ence in Europe but not on this side of with the COP.” At least 80% of Mayekawa’s cost market.” the pond. Isobutane, he noted, “is great water-source units produce cooling that is for hot water heaters.” But their pros- leveraged rather than discarded, he said. But the cost of heat pumps in the U.S. is pects are constrained by very high costs expected to drop as the market for them in the U.S. where they have to be “explo- The use of cooling also helps produce an grows and manufacturers achieve econ- sion-proof,” he noted. ROI for the water-source units, which Davis omies of scale, according to the Rocky acknowledged can be a “little pricey.” Mountain Institute. Compared to an electric-resistance water MEETING THE LIVING BUILDING heater, the much more efficient CO2 heat Mayekawa also makes low-charge CHALLENGE pumps offer a payback in 1.5 years. But the ammonia-based heat pumps for payback is much longer compared to a gas medium or large facilities like office Silver Oak Cellars, a family-owned water heater because of the low cost of buildings and industrial plants. To date, Northern California wine producer, is gas, he noted. most have been deployed in Europe, the focused on making superb Cabernet Middle East and Japan but Mayekawa Sauvignon, and doing so in the most Sanden’s heat pump water heaters, Miles has installed a few in North America environmentally friendly way possible. acknowledged, are the most expensive food processing facilities. Ammonia water- heating products on the market, would not have been considered a year Silver Oak’s most recently constructed, at about $3,000 per unit, compared to or two ago in North America but that has facility is a 110,000-sq-ft production about $1,300 for traditional (HFC refrig- changed with the advent of low-charge facility and tasting room, located in erant) heat pump water heaters and $600 systems, more robust components, and Healdsburg (Alexander Valley), Calif., for gas and electric-resistance water semi-hermetic components that elimi- that began operationsin 2017. It is heaters. Although Sanden’s heat pumps nate leak points, said Davis. the first new production winery to be

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 48 // Cover Story

designated LEED platinum, and is now “Silver Oak made it clear early in the and the initial washdown of barrels and being considered for an even more exact- design process that they wanted to tanks. This process vastly reduces ing certification by the Living Building be the greenest winery in the world,” Silver Oak’s water usage. Challenge, which will be determined in said Andy Souza, licensed mechani- early 2020. (Silver Oak’s other facility, cal engineer and project manager for The heat pumps and solar thermal sys- in Oakville, Calif., was the first retrofit TEP Engineering, Santa Rosa, Calif. tems handle two separate water flows winery to achieve LEED platinum.) He worked with TEP Engineering pres- for winery uses – one for recycled pro- ident Rob Main on the design of the cess water, which does most of the ini- To meet the Living Building Challenge production facilities' water heating tial cleaning, and one for potable (not (becoming the first winery to do so), systems heating system at Silver Oak’s recycled) process water that is used for Silver Oak chose two Mayekawa water- Healdsburg facility. final rinse and washdown. source CO2 heat pumps (each providing up to 146.2 MBH on the hot side, with an The water heating system, supported Domestic hot water, for the tasting average heating COP of 2.1), as well as a by 2,595 solar voltaic panels and 48 room, employee showers and adminis- solar thermal heating system, in lieu of solar thermal collectors across three tration restrooms, is generated only by

a traditional boiler system. The Living building rooftops and the two CO2 heat the solar thermal water heating system, Building Challenge precludes combus- pumps, is designed to produce outlet with back up from a solar-powered elec- tion heating, but the winery was granted hot water temperatures around 140°F tric water heater. There is also a sepa- an exception to use a propane-fired that is used for barrel washing, fermen- rate glycol water flow used for heating boiler as a supplemental heating source tation tank cleaning, floor and equip- and cooling of the fermentation tanks during the harvest system (roughly ment washdown. “Everything in a win- and barrel rooms, The heat pumps pro- August to November) when there is peak ery needs to be incredibly clean and vide both the heating and cooling, with hot water demand. sanitized,” noted Duncan. excess cooling rejected outdoors.

“We’re very invested in creating a The facility also employs a membrane Initially, the incoming well water system that has very little impact on bioreactor to collect, clean and recycle (about 50°F) is preheated by the heat global warming,” said Haley Duncan, the winery's process wastewater and exchanger coils inside of a large solar Silver Oak’s project manager. “That’s turn it into essentially potable recycled water thermal tank. “It would be ideal our motivation.” water that can be used in floor rinsing if we could get 140°F water out of the

CO2 heat pumps at the SIlver Oak's Healdsburg, Calif., winery

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Cover Story // 49

solar tank all year long,” said Souza. (Recently, the A SANDEN TINKERER solar tank water reached 151°F.) On his website (http://greencomfort.nationbuilder.com), Dave Sweet After the solar thermal heating process, the recy- calls himself an “eco-friendly homeowner and builder” whose goal is to cled water and the potable process water can “use as little energy as possible while maximizing comfort for my wife, pick up additional heat as needed via a separate my daughters and I.” heat exchanger fed by hot water from the CO2 heat pumps, which raises the water temperature to Sweet, who has been building his own homes since the 1980s, 194°F. The extra heat is required when the solar described the steps taken in building his current (and ninth) home in thermal tank is not producing outlet temperatures Old Saybrook, Conn., in a series of videos on his website. One of the of 140°F. innovations was the installation of two Sanden CO2 heat pumps outside the house to generate hot water and space heating. He’s also using an These water heating systems are managed by an induction cooktop and an electric fireplace, and generating more than elaborate building management system that logs half of his electricity from 42 solar panels (13 kW). “The idea was to data on water usage and sends out alerts to main- totally decarbonize,” he said. tenance staff if something is amiss. Sweet admires the efficiency of the Sanden units, derived from the large The equipment and installation cost of the sys- differential (from 60°F to 100°F) between the temperature of the return tems was more than a conventional boiler setup, water from the house and the temperature to which the temperature is Duncan noted. But Silver Oaks cut its energy costs heated in the units. Sanden’s hot water temperature setting ranges from dramatically last year at the Healdsburg facil- 130°F to 175°F. ity by generating 86% of its electricity from the solar panels; overall it achieved a 73.7% energy The standard Sanden system that supplies space heating and hot water cost savings compared to similar buildings, said employs only water, a water tank and a separate heat exchanger. Sweet Duncan. With additional panels installed at a created his own design that employs a glycol solution. “I’m a tinkerer,” nearby warehouse, Silver Oak will be producing he said. more than 105% of its energy from solar energy by the end of 2019, which is another requirement of The heat pumps, each with a capacity of about 14,000 BTUs/hr, gen- the Living Building Challenge. erate a hot glycol solution that is delivered to a 119-gal tank with a heat exchanger coil at the bottom, where potable water is heated and The elaborate hot-water system design “is the first pumped out to the house. Separately, the heat pumps deliver heated combined solar thermal and CO2 heat pump sys- glycol to the radiant heating systems in his home. He uses an electric tem ] has ever been done that I’m aware of,” said element backup. Souza. “It’s one of the most complex projects I’ve worked on.” Though the Sanden units are more expensive than alternative heating systems, Sweet believes there is a good payback. “I can’t imagine a Duncan acknowledged that it took a while to get conventional piece of equipment being able to do space heating and used to the complexity of the water heating sys- domestic hot water; this is the only product in that classification.” He tem. “It was a big learning curve,” she said. “But, also recommends it as a domestic water heater only. overall, it has worked well for us.”

Sanden CO2 heat pumps outside of Dave Sweet's home in Connecticut. SAVING ENERGY IN ALASKA Another highly innovative project involving

Mayekawa water-source transcritical CO2 heat pumps took place in Seward, Alaska, where in January 2016 the 120,000-sq-ft Alaska SeaLife Center, an aquarium and research facility, installed four 20-TR units.

The grant-supported project, orchestrated by Anchorage, Alaska-based YourCleanEnergy, leveraged ocean water from nearby Resurrection Bay to heat glycol that supports the heat pumps. (See,

Tapping CO 2 and Seawater in the Last Frontier,” Accelerate America, May 2016.) It is one of the first examples in the U.S. of CO2 heat pumps replacing conventional oil burners in a commercial facility.

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 50 // Cover Story

The project was driven by the SeaLife Center’s need to replace its oil burners due to the skyrocketing cost of oil in Alaska, which has sub-arctic temperatures in the winter. By installing the heat- Peentae Do in Geenhose Gas pump system – which handles a variety of heating loads, from outside pavements and domestic hot water to baseboards in Emissions As a Reslt of Sithin offices and labs to coils in public areas – the facility was able fom Natal Gas to AllEleti in to save $15,000 per month at existing oil and electricity rates, a savings that still holds. Absent grants, the $1.5 million project Califonia SinleFamil Homes (including $200,000 for the four CO2 heat pumps) would have an ROI of less than nine years, according to the Sealife Center.

The SeaLife Center initially purchased two 90-TR Trane heat pumps, but that still left 40% of its heating generated by an electric boiler. To handle higher-temperature loads, the Mayekawa

CO2 heat pumps were installed, cutting back the electric boil-

33 er’s usage to 2%. The CO2 units produce hot water at 194°F, with an initial COP of 2.25. Hot water is distributed in the facility through an elaborate network of water pipes architected by Andy Baker, owner of YourCleanEnergy, in a design that he dubbed “loopsametrics.”

The power of the CO2 heat pumps, Baker said, comes from 3 their ability to raise the temperature of return water to 194°F with about the same energy input even as the return temperature drops (down to a minimum of 90°F at the SeaLife Center). “The Mayekawa units put out 194°F water no matter what you throw at it.”

Initially the return temperature of the system, after supporting multiple loads, was 130°F, but additional loads would lower it further and raise the COP – with a minimal energy penalty, noted Baker. In 2017, the return temperature was lowered to between

Source: Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. Base

Andy Baker, YourCleanEnergy

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Cover Story // 51

100°F and 110°F with the addition of a basement SMTI’S HEAT PUMP ALTERNATIVE condensation load, raising the COP to 2.3; that Stone Mountain Technologies, Inc. (SMTI), based in Johnson City, Tenn., makes the CO2 system's energy consumption less is developing what it calls a “next-generation heating innovation” – a than half the cost of an electric boiler and half the compressor-free, thermally driven heat pump that uses low-charge cost of an oil boiler, he said. ammonia- water absorption, triggered by natural gas, to generate space heating and domestic hot water. The system also provides cooling via ocean- warmed glycol (starting at 40°F) to fan coils in a Having undergone a series of field tests in homes and restaurants, mechanical room and an electrical room, boost- SMTI’s residential space heating and water-heating systems are slated ing the temperature of the glycol and reducing the to hit the market in early 2021, said Scott Reed, SMTI’s vice president of work required by the heat pumps. Baker is now strategy and marketing. The restaurant unit, which also supplies cooling overseeing the installation of fan coils in two more to the kitchen area, will have a later release, he said. parts of the facility – a server room and a freezer room. The additional waste heat absorbed by the SMTI’s systems will be marketed by an HVAC manufacturer that has not glycol in those rooms will allow the SeaLife Center been named. to turn off the seawater flow in the summer for the

CO2 heat pumps, he noted. The units comes in different sizes and configurations, including a 10,000 BTU/hr heat pump attached to a water tank; an 80,000 BTU/hr combina- This use of heat reclaim is important, he said, tion space/domestic hot water unit; and a 140,000 BTU/hr system that because it demonstrates how facilities that can’t can handle space heating and domestic hot water for light commercial tap into ocean water heat can still employ CO2 applications. The COP is about 1.6 (2.0 in the restaurant application), heat pumps. said Michael Garrabrant, founder and CEO of SMTI.

Baker’s next grant-supported project is to deploy Garrabrant sees the SMTI unit mainly competing against gas-fired water six water-source Mayekawa CO2 heat pumps to pro- heaters and boilers, using half the gas with twice the efficiency. He con- vide heating to four municipal buildings in Seward, tends that his system works better than an electric heat pump in cold Alaska – City Hall, City Hall Annex, the Community climates where the heat pump’s COP suffers. “We feel we have a better Library and Fire Hall. He expects the district-heat- path forward to reducing carbon emissions for space heating in cold ing project to be completed by the end of 2019. climates,” he said.

The heat pumps will be located in the library base- The growth of renewable natural gas will help make SMTI’s system a ment, with oil and electric boilers as a backup. Hot greener alternative, noted Reed. “Methane can be made in ways that are water will be circulated to the other three buildings renewable and carbon neutral,” he said. through an Alfa Laval heat exchanger to prevent contamination of the heat pumps. Baker projects using the heat pumps for 80%-90% of the heating load in the buildings, and achieving a COP of SMTI ammonia-absorption heat pump 2.4, with the temperature of return water reach- ing 100°F “more consistently with big radiant heat loads in the library.”

Source heat for the project will come from ocean tides in nearby Resurrection Bay, tapped through a 200-ft-deep closed glycol loop and delivered to the library 500 ft away. A nearby hydroelec- tric energy plant under consideration in Seward could be a future source of waste heat for the district-heating project.

It is estimated that the district heat pump system will save Seward $25,000 in annual heating costs compared to a fossil-fuel system – another step toward a decarbonized society. MG

April - May 2019 // Accelerate America 52 // Technology

EPTA FORMS U.S. COMPANY WITH KYSOR WARREN PURCHASE

Kysor Warren Epta US Corp. positions Epta to its CO2 systems to North and Central American markets, following its acquisition of Lennox subsidiary

– By Michael Garry

talian OEM Epta S.p.A “The establishment of Kysor Warren announced the acquisition of Epta US Corp. is a milestone for the I Kysor Warren from U.S. con- Group,” said Marco Nocivelli, president glomerate Lennox International and CEO of Milan, Italy-based Epta, on April 1, and said the acquisition will in a statement. “We have risen to the result in the creation of a new company challenge and we are ready to enter a Damon Wyatt, Kysor Warren Mexico called Kysor Warren Epta US Corp. geographical area that is highly competitive, innovative and with significant The $49 million cash deal closed on numbers: North and Central America are March 29, 2019, according to Lennox. worth over one-third of the world refrigeration market. Columbus, Ga.-based Kysor Warren, previously a division of Lennox subsid- “This operation," he continued, "will iary Heatcraft Worldwide Refrigeration, allow us to accelerate our growth plans manufactures refrigerated merchandis- thanks to the reputation of the Kysor ers and systems – including transcrit- Warren brand that boasts a prominent

ical CO2 and ammonia/CO2 cascade role nationally, innovative natural refrig- systems – for grocery and convenience erant systems such as those operating stores, with applications in other retail with CO2, structured and efficient pro- and foodservice sectors. duction facilities and a strong team of motivated experts.” Kysor Warren has over 500 employees, with operations in the U.S. and Mexico. Francesco Mastrapasqua, advocacy & Epta has over 5,000 employees, 11 man- regulatory affairs manager at Epta, cred- ufacturing plants and a worldwide sales ited Kysor Warren with “a long-stand- and technical service network; in 2017 ing experience in technologically it recorded sales of 888 million euros advanced systems, even with natural ($995 million). refrigerants.” That aligns, he said, with the “pillars of Epta’s success, [which] Epta has been a leading manufacturer are a strong commitment towards an of CO2 refrigeration systems in Europe,

and has expanded its marketing of CO2 technology to Australia, South America and Southeast Asia. With the Kysor Warren acquisition, Epta gains a foot- hold in North and Central America.

Accelerate America // April - May 2019 Technology // 53

eco-friendly approach to refrigeration, along with constant investments and a solid know-how in performing and energy-saving systems adopting low-GWP natural refrigerants.”

The acquisition, added Mastrapasqua, “will thus result in an even higher focus on sustainability and efficiency, raising awareness on the need of the commercial refrigeration sector to accelerate the green transition.”

Epta said the transaction is in line with its expansion strategy, which aims to grow through a combination of organic expansion and mergers/acquisitions.

Commented Parke Adamson, former general manager of Kysor Warren: “Epta and Kysor Warren have a shared vision and highly compatible cultures, founded on similar values, such as quality, sustainability, innovation, design and efficiency. The across-the-board skills of the Epta Group and its know-how in the development of natural refrigerant systems will dovetail with our long-es- Marco Nocivelli, Epta tablished experience serving North American retailers.

Epta has gained attention as a CO2 inno- Following its sale of Kysor Warren, Lennox “This is a synergy that will further vator. In 2017, the company launched International Chairman and CEO Todd strengthen the Kysor Warren brand, its Full Transcritical Efficiency (FTE) Bluedorn, said in a statement that divest- which will allow us to grasp, with solution for improving the efficiency ing the Kysor Warren refrigerated display renewed strength, the opportunities in of CO2 refrigeration systems in warmer case business “enables us to focus on a dynamic, continuously evolving mar- climates. Epta has also developed our commercial refrigeration businesses ket,” added Adamson. its EptaBlue CO2 integrated water- where we have strong market positions in loop system for medium-sized and North America and Europe and that fit our small supermarkets. growth profile." Multiple brands Epta’s commercial refrigeration brands Kysor Warren has also made news with In a report on its fourth-quarter and full year also include Costan, Bonnet Névé, its natural refrigerant systems. In 2015, 2018 results issued on February 5, Lennox George Barker, Eurocryor, Misa, Iarp and the company installed an ammonia/ announced its plans to sell Kysor Warren,

Knudsen Køling. Epta describes itself as CO2 cascade refrigeration system at a adding that it was aiming to close the sale in a “turnkey partner able to manufacture Piggly Wiggly outlet in Columbus, Ga., the first quarter. and provide complete refrigeration sys- which has reported energy savings tems through the integration of specific compared to an HFC system running in Lennox purchased Kysor Warren from the product lines such as traditional refrig- the same store. Manitowoc Company in 2011. erator cabinets, vertical and semi-vertical chillers, vertical and horizontal In 2018, Kysor Warren installed a tran- The announcement of the sale of Kysor freezers, plug-in units for Retail and scritical CO2 system at a Casa Ley store Warren follows the sale last year of Lennox’s F&B, medium and large capacity refrig- that it called the first supermarket instal- refrigeration businesses in Australia, Asia eration systems and cold rooms.” lation of transcritical CO2 in Mexico. and South America. MG

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