Transcritical Refrigeration Ready for Prime Time: Panel
WASHINGTON — Retailers looking at or adopting transcritical refrigeration systems, which use only carbon dioxide (CO2) as a refrigerant, are confident that technicians and contractors will be able to handle the installation and maintenance of the new systems, though they may charge a premium.
“With a little training on the uniqueness of certain aspects of the system and understanding the higher pressures, the vast majority of technicians have no trouble with it,” said Steve Hagen, procurement manager, Sprouts Farmers Market, Phoenix, who participated in a panel discussion on natural refrigerants such as CO2 and ammonia last month at the ATMOsphere America 2013 conference here. Sprouts has installed a cascade refrigeration system that largely employs CO2 refrigerant, and “continues to look at opportunities to use natural refrigerants,” he said.
Natural refrigerants have a negligible or zero impact on global warming as well as no effect on the ozone layer. As a result, they are being considered by food retailers worldwide as a replacement for both R-22, the primary refrigerant used by food retailers that is being phased out due to its harmful effect on the ozone layer, and HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) refrigerants, which have a high global warming potential.
Rod Peterson, national procurement manager, refrigeration & HVAC, Sobeys, Stellarton, Nova Scotia, acknowledged that the Canadian grocer was concerned about whether contractors would be able to install its initial transcritical system in Western Canada “in a cost effective manner.” However, the contractor turned out to be “up to speed,” he said. “They were excited and proud to be working on the first system.”
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