If hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are to have long-term viability, the low-global warming potential (GWP) versions will have to separate themselves from high-GWP types. And the survivors will have to play their part in energy efficiencies, especially in commercial buildings.

CO2 as a refrigerant has been a part of the refrigeration landscape for close to a decade. The most anticipated next step was running CO2 as a standalone refrigerant in a system, which is being done in Europe in more and larger applications. Finally, the approach crossed the Atlantic.

When I think of how big and complex our industry is, I see it most reflected in the limited number of places the refrigeration shows I have attended can be held. These shows have a lot of people looking at a lot of products.

Under the eye of scoring judges, contestants brazed, executed air conditioning troubleshooting techniques, demonstrated refrigerant recovery and recycling skills, performed refrigeration maintenance, evaluated airflow, serviced a gas furnace, and were tested on geothermal equipment.

High-global warming potential (GWP) gases, including a number of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), have come under attack from environmentalists for being part of the climate change issue.

Here, manufacturers of large machinery bring some of their latest developments, along with the range of products and services on display every year.

CO2 as a refrigerant has been a part of the refrigeration landscape for close to a decade and continues to gain more and more attention in the states in refrigeration applications. Most recently, CO2 was showcased as a hot topic at the Food Marketing Institute Expo in Chicago.

Contractors and technicians involved in refrigeration work could be seeing a step up in business. In a report issued in mid-2014, a research company called The Freedonia Group said that demand for commercial refrigeration equipment in the United States is expected to increase 3.1 percent per year through 2018 to $10.7 billion.

When refrigeration is looked at from a global perspective, it is easy to discover the haves and the have not’s. Developed countries like the United States have refrigeration systems that protect food at every step along the cold chain. But in developing countries, that refrigeration aspect is often missing in most every step.

The answer to the crossword puzzle I was working on was an old friend of ours in the HVACR Industry: EPA as in Environmental Protection Agency.