Hensley Beverage Co., a Phoenix-based beverage wholesaler, supports a customer base of more than 9,000 accounts and more than 2,500 individual products, operating out of six locations across Arizona.

The company recently completed an acquisition that expanded its distribution footprint into New Mexico, making it one of the largest family-owned and operated beverage distributors in the nation. As it grows, Hensley remains committed to maintaining exceptional product integrity, upholding its multi-generational family business legacy, and supporting a variety of environmental objectives.

These factors, coupled with the current regulatory landscape (notably, the phasedown of legacy HFC refrigerants), have put Hensley’s focus on ways to upgrade its refrigeration systems. For the past several years, Chemours, American Refrigeration Supplies Inc. (ARS), and Hensley have worked together to retrofit the distributor’s existing R-22 and R-404A systems to Opteon™ XP40 (R-449A), an HFO blend offering zero ODP and a significantly lower GWP than legacy products.

However, with the ongoing phasedown of HFC refrigerants under the U.S. EPA’s AIM Act, the teams began weighing the benefits of an even bolder upgrade. Even as Chemours, ARS, and Hensley continued to strategically employ retrofit solutions in some areas, they explored options that would put the company in a stronger position for the long term.

Chemours recommended bringing Opteon XL20 (R-454C) into Hensley’s refrigeration plan. A mildly flammable refrigerant with an ASHRAE A2L safety classification, Opteon XL20 is designed for use in new equipment, so Hensley identified an old R-22 system near the end of its life that was ideal for replacement by a new system using R-454C.

Opteon XL20 has been used for several years in Europe, and Chemours expects it to become the new norm in the U.S. by 2026, based on the current direction provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Leveraging its experience in Europe, the Chemours team of technical service and business development resources is prepared to support end users as they consider trial installations using A2L refrigerants.

Installation Team

The installation brought together additional resources from the HVACR industry, including Copeland and Heatcraft Refrigeration Products -- two ARS manufacturing partners -- as well as Technical Building Services Inc. (TBSI), the local HVACR service provider. As global HVACR technology leaders helping customers achieve their sustainability, decarbonization, and regulatory compliance goals, Heatcraft and Copeland had the knowledge and experience of emerging A2L requirements and the capabilities to support the project. TBSI was selected as the contractor for installation and servicing.

With the team assembled, Chemours took the lead on the project, ensuring that the contractor, Hensley’s service personnel, and others involved were certified through the ESCO Institute’s A2L refrigerant training program, and answering any questions from the local authorities.

After safely recovering the R-22 for use in other Hensley systems, the team from TBSI started removing the existing Keg 6 equipment, hanging new evaporator coils, and running new refrigerant lines. Installation, evacuation, and charging procedures were very similar to the current refrigerants in use by industry, making for a time- and cost-efficient process.

As Sergio Pelayo, vice president of TBSI, noted, “Our tools and gauges were already enabled for the R-454C refrigerant. The startup and charging of both systems went pretty smoothly. TBSI is proud to have participated in the project at Hensley and, by doing so, adding to the variety of equipment we’ve worked on since founding our business in 1990. This was a great opportunity to grow our experience with A2Ls.”

To make sure the system performed as expected, Copeland applied monitoring units to the systems that capture nearly two dozen data points every second. The data has shown that the systems are running as designed.

“Our role in the system design and installation for Hensley was right in our wheelhouse,” said Brian Schroeder, engineering manager of refrigerants at Copeland. “What we accomplished together demonstrates that by bringing together energy-efficient products, regulation-ready solutions, and expertise, we can revolutionize the next generation of climate technology for the better.”

Completed in 2023, Chemours said the installation paves the way for companies throughout the commercial refrigeration industry to embrace refrigerant technologies that are both cost-effective and environmentally sustainable.

“With strong dedication to supporting their communities and the environment while operating an efficient and thriving business, Hensley is a company that pushes the envelope,” said Joe Martinko, president of thermal and specialized solutions at Chemours. “Chemours was ready with our next-generation Opteon XL20, which will ensure they achieve maximum performance, operating efficiency, and sustainability.”