As most in the industry know, the HFC refrigerant phasedown is progressing rapidly in the U.S. commercial refrigeration and air conditioning sectors. Federal regulations, state building codes, and safety standards are evolving to support the emergence of lower-GWP alternatives, and as a result, many have questions about the path forward, compliance timing, and refrigerant safety.

On Tuesday, April 18 at 2 p.m. Eastern time, Emerson will host its next E360 webinar, 2023 Refrigerant Rulemaking and Safety Standards Update. The free webinar will feature Emerson’s regulatory experts Jennifer Butsch and Dr. Rajan Rajendran, who will present an overview of new developments and provide answers for those evaluating their next-generation equipment strategies.

Webinar attendees will learn:

  • Details, timing, and proposed GWP limits in the EPA Technology Transitions proposal (subsection (i) of the AIM Act);
  • Expectations for EPA SNAP approval of new refrigerant alternatives and EPA HFC management rulemaking;
  • State-level HFC proposals;
  • Overview of safety standards governing flammable refrigerants;
  • Progress of building and model codes needed enable flammable refrigerants at the state level; and
  • Resources for preparing for the next generation of alternative refrigerants.

Register for the Emerson webinar here.

GREENCHILL WEBINAR

GreenChill — a voluntary EPA program that works cooperatively with the food retail industry to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change — will also be hosting free webinars in April.

On April 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern time, presenters from EPA will provide an overview of subsection (h) of the AIM Act. Subsection (h) authorizes EPA to establish regulations to control, where appropriate, practices, processes, or activities regarding the servicing, repair, disposal, or installation of equipment, for purposes of maximizing the reclamation and minimizing the release of certain HFCs from equipment and ensuring the safety of technicians and consumers.

Subsection (h) also provides for the agency to consider options to increase opportunities for reclaiming HFCs used as refrigerants and potential approaches to coordinate regulations carrying out subsection (h) of the AIM Act with similar EPA regulations, such as the refrigerant management program established under Title VI of the Clean Air Act. This is an opportunity for GreenChill Partners and others to learn more about this section of the AIM Act. Register for this webinar here.

DANFOSS WEBINAR

On April 27 at 2 p.m. Eastern, presenters from Danfoss will review best practices for new store commissioning, including how to ensure equipment is installed per specification and that performance matches the reality of installation. Presenters will also discuss strategies for successful retro-commissioning, particularly adequate planning. Commissioning and retro-commissioning play key roles in ensuring that stores operate at peak efficiency. Register for this webinar here.