FEBRUARYCover Story 2019 // 1 ADVANCING HVAC&R NATURALLY AMERICA NEW REFRIGERATION FLAVORS February 2019 // Accelerate America JUNE 17-18, 2019 AMERICA ATLANTA PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Monday 17 Tuesday 18 Technology Trends Policy Session Market Trends Utilities Panel Industrial Refrigeration Commercial Refrigeration Case Studies Case Studies Technomercials Technomercials PARALLEL PARALLEL Commercial End User Best Practice* Industrial End User Best Practice* Commercial End User Panel Industrial End User Panel Technomercials Technomercials PARALLEL PARALLEL Technomercials Technomercials ATMO Business ATMO Business Connect Afternoon Connect Afternoon Dinner & Awards Farewell Drinks Reception *Private Meeeting Welcome drinks, Workshops & Site visits to take place around the main conference days Learn more at www.ATMO.org/America2019 Editor's Note // 3 Keeping HFCs Out of the Atmosphere — by Michael Garry he Trump administration is well other steps that need to be taken while HFCs known for its efforts to dismantle and HCFCs continue to be used in existing T programs created by the Obama- commercial, industrial and residential era Environmental Protection HVAC&R systems – notably reducing leak Agency (EPA) to curb greenhouse-gas rates and executing proper end-of- life emissions, such as the Clean Power Plan recovery, reclamation and destruction of and upgraded car-fuel efficiency rules, these gases. among others. This, of course, is why it is so important to Probably less known is the Trump EPA’s pro- keep Section 608 refrigerant management posal last September to rescind Obama’s rules on leak repair and maintenance of HFC 2016 update to Section 608 of the Clean Air equipment. Last November, 15 U.S. states Act. Under the update, the EPA extended the and the District of Columbia sent a letter to refrigerant management rules (on leak repair, the EPA strongly opposing its proposal to for example) for supermarkets and indus- remove HFCs from the rules. trial facilities to HFCs and HFOs, along with ozone-depleting substances (ODS), the orig- Further evidence of the importance of proper Michael Garry inal target of the regulation. management of HFCs emerged recently in Editor the form of a new report by the Environmental The start date of the Obama update was Investigation Agency, “Search, Reuse and January 1, 2019, so it is presumably in effect Destroy: How States Can Take the Lead on a while the EPA tries to remove it. 100 Billion Ton Climate Problem.” (Page 28.) The EIA urges U.S. states to adopt California’s Of course, the Trump EPA has already rolled refrigerant management program (RMP) and back Obama-era rules that banned a series of adopt other policy measures to prevent leaks high-GWP HFCs – the upshot of a 2017 U.S. and support refrigerant recovery. Appeals Court ruling negating those rules in certain circumstances. The agency has In addition to its RMP, California has passed started consideration of new HFC regulations the California Cooling Act, which adopts last April. the EPA’s voided HFC regulations and lays the groundwork for incentives for natural Meanwhile, much of the world is moving refrigerant alternatives. Three other states – ahead with HFC-reduction plans pursuant New York, Connecticut and Maryland – have to the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal pledged to follow California with respect Protocol, which also went into effect January to HFC regulations, and others are poised 1, 2019. As of February 25, 69 parties (mostly to follow suit. The EIA wants to make sure countries) had ratified the amendment, they include refrigerant management in though not the U.S. their programs. HFCs are part of a group of short-lived climate The power of leak prevention and recovery pollutants (SLCPs) – also know as “super pol- of HFCs is quite extraordinary – so much so lutants” – that don’t linger as long as CO2 in that Project Drawdown made it No. 1 in its the atmosphere but have GWPs thousands compendium of 80 current climate remedia- of times higher than the GWP of CO2 (one). tion techniques. They represent low-hanging fruit in the GHG- reduction world. Managing and eventually getting rid of HFCs is well within the capability of the HVAC&R Accelerate America supports replacing HFCs industry, and I expect many U.S. states, if not with natural refrigerants. However, there are the EPA (right now), to lead the way. MG February 2019 // Accelerate America 4 // Table of Contents In this issue Editor's Note U.S. Committee Should Vote ‘Yes’ on 500-g HC Charge 03 Keeping HFCs Out of 18 28 the Atmosphere If the U.S. National Committee votes against the IEC’s new About Us hydrocarbon charge limit, it would put U.S. supermarkets at a dis- 06 About Accelerate America advantage. By Danielle Wright Preventing False Alarms in Accelerate America Opens Ammonia Detection 08 2019 Awards Program 20 Frequent false alarms can undermine the effectiveness of detection systems; here are some ways to avoid them. Letters to the Editor By Jason Mueske and Brian EuDaly. 10 // Opinion Saving the Planet with Foam Infographic 24 True Manufacturing touts the use 12 Natural Refrigerant Trends of a foam-blowing agent in its for Industrial Refrigeration refrigeration insulation that has no // Trends GWP or ODP and cuts energy use. Events Guide 14 Major industry events HC Charge Limit May Stop at 300 in March and April 26 g in U.S. So said NAFEM Show exhibitors, who America in Brief differed on whether 300 g would be bet- 16 ter than the IEC’s proposed 500 g limit. EIA Urges U.S. States to Address 28 Refrigerant Leaks and End-of-Life 26 Recovery New report recommends adopting California’s programs and other mea- sures to avoid tons of GHG emissions // Policy // in the face of federal rollbacks. 30 AHR Expo Highlights, Part 2 CO2 components manufacturers KeepRite, Emerson, Dorin and Parker as well as R290 component makers Tecumseh and ebm-papst were among the companies showcasing products at the massive trade show in Atlanta. NAFEM Show Highlights: Part 1 32 The foodservice equipment show continues to showcase the transition to propane (R290) refrigeration, though NEW REFRIGERATION FLAVORS with some new enhancements. // Event Accelerate America // February 2019 Table of Contents // 5 No R290 Leaks Since 2013 at 36 H-E-B Store The Texas grocery chain reports on the performance of its pioneering 83,000- sq-ft Austin outlet using only propane condensing units for all display cases. 40 CO2 Thrives in the Desert The first transcritical CO2 system used by a supermarket in the Middle East delivers energy savings of up to // End User // 30% compared to an HFC system. Campbell’s New Refrigeration 42 Flavors The food and beverage giant, which pioneered low-charge ammonia systems, has added cascade and transcritical CO2 systems to the mix. 36 Story Cover // Rivacold Bringing R290 Walk-In 50 Unit to U.S. Two U.S. stores are using ceiling-mounted packaged system, which the Italian company will be manufacturing in the U.S. Standing Up for Ammonia 52 Scantec's Stefan Jensen defends his low-charge ammonia systems in a comparison with CO2 technology. // Technology // 54 Editorial Corner 42 NEW REFRIGERATION FLAVORS February 2019 // Accelerate America 6 // About Us FEBRUARY 2019 Accelerate America February 2019 // Volume 5, Issue #42 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 Photographers Ben Beech Accelerate America publisher shecco's network Scott Chasserot spans the globe with offices in Brussels, Tokyo, Carla Tramullas New York and Sydney. The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the Publisher. Every care is WANT TO ADVERTISE? taken to ensure the content of the magazine is accurate but we assume no responsibility for any / Ad Sales effect from errors or omissions. Silvia Scaldaferri Published by shecco SPRL. All rights [email protected] reserved. Reproduction in whole or in +39 331 961 3956 part is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright owner. GOT A STORY IDEA? / Editor Michael Garry [email protected] 203-417-0767 Accelerate America // February 2019 Editorial Calendar // 7 February 2019 // Accelerate America 8 // Awards ACCELERATE AMERICA OPENS 2019 AWARDS PROGRAM The awards will be presented at ATMOsphere America 2019 in Atlanta; deadline for nominations is March 29 – By Michael Garry ccelerate America is pleased Among the awards going to companies, a Criteria for assessing nominated to open the nominating pro- Best in Sector award will go to an end-user individuals will include: A cess for its fourth annual company in two sectors – food retail and awards program, which rec- industrial. The Best Contractor award will Impact on development and/ ognizes companies and individuals go to the company that has done the most or implementation of natural doing the most to drive adoption of nat- to facilitate the adoption of natural refriger- refrigerant systems ural refrigerants over the past year. ants in the past year. Leadership in organization as well as the industry The awards are divided into four The Innovation of the Year award will go Innovation and perseverance categories: Best in Sector, Best to a company that developed a particular Contractor, Person of the Year and technology having a significant impact on The awards program was launched in 2016.