CO₂ is primarily used in cascade systems that include ammonia, in booster systems in supermarkets, and as a stand-alone refrigerant for transcritical-configured systems.

Everyone talks about what it initially costs a supermarket to switch to a 100 percent CO2 commercial refrigeration system. But start thinking about the costs that come next — on everything from electricity to regulatory compliance — and the return on investment on CO2 begins to make a great deal of sense.

So, supermarket owners want refrigeration systems that are energy efficient to hold down costs and pro-environmental for political correctness. But for engineers, contractors, and technicians that approach may not be all that easy, whether bringing a new store online or retrofitting an existing one.

A demonstration of complex — but ultimately valuable — developments when it comes to supermarket refrigeration is a project conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Supermarket owners want refrigeration systems that are energy efficient to hold down costs and pro-environmental to portray political correctness. But, for engineers, contractors, and technicians, that approach may not be that easy when opening a new store or retrofitting an existing location.

Retailers have called on the cooling supply chain for solutions to help them meet a triple challenge of tight margins, smaller store footprints, and new refrigerant choices.

The refrigerant landscape is preparing for a regulatory makeover. By 2018, approximately 80 percent of commercial refrigerators and ice machines will have to go through a redesign to meet new DOE standards for efficiency; the EPA is proposing to delist R-404A and R-134a in many commercial refrigeration applications; and more.

The potential for growth and development exists across the entire HVACR landscape, but perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than in the area of refrigeration technology.

The supermarket refrigeration sector is sensing the demise of high-GWP HFCs for use in HVAC systems, including some of the most commonly used refrigerants, R-404A and -507. Even if the line between high- and low-GWP HFCs has yet to be drawn, the industry is considering low-GWP options more frequently.

With the phaseout of R-22, many food retailers are adapting to future R-22 supply constraints by transitioning away from this refrigerant. Because many of the substitute refrigerants are potent greenhouse gases, it is important that food retailers use the retrofitting process as an opportunity to tighten system leaks.