At the symposium, industry experts from Danfoss, as well as refrigeration equipment manufacturers, end users, regulators, advocacy groups, and refrigerant producers came together to discuss some of the challenges facing the industry, as well as new technologies and megatrends that will impact every aspect of the commercial refrigeration market.

The EPA is revisiting the aspects of the 2016 Rule that apply to equipment containing substitute refrigerants. If finalized as proposed, the revised Refrigerant Management rule would rescind the leak repair and maintenance requirements for substitute refrigerants.

While the stronger economy is definitely good news for contractors, they are probably not too thrilled to see these record low unemployment numbers. As everyone knows, the HVACR industry is struggling with a severe shortage of skilled labor, and the problem is only getting worse.

In a sharply worded dissent, the Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) noted that this proposal was “negotiated by a few manufacturers without input from the HVACR industry at large.” HARDI stated that it abstained from signing onto the proposal “until consensus can be reached on a more realistic sell-through period.”

Following the passage of California's SB 1013, several other states announced that they, too, were going to implement laws that would reduce the use of HFCs.