In the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, attendees at the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) 2008 Conference & Exhibition were told that their industry is one better able to survive a rocky economy.

Major developments regarding the antimicrobial properties of copper in such basic applications as doorknobs may lead to wider use of the alloy in the HVACR sector. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the registration of naturally antimicrobial copper alloys as a supplement to standard preventive measures in eliminating specific disease-causing bacteria.

Technicians quite familiar with terms such as EER and SEER may want to make room for yet another in the seemingly endless lists of industry acronyms: AEER. Emerson Climate Technologies is proposing annual energy efficiency ratio (AEER) as “a new measure for refrigeration applications.”

The University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., has been subject of media hype since its opening in 2006 with such events as the Super Bowl, NCAA National Championship, Fiesta Bowl, National Football League games, and its designation as one of the “10 Most Impressive Sports Facilities on The Globe” by BusinessWeek magazine.

When refrigeration contractors hear a lot of promoting of technologies like scroll compressors, electronic-commutated motors, antisweat heaters, and high-efficiency wall insulation, there may be more than just hype to the talk. It may be the way refrigeration equipment meets what are expected to be a multitude of new energy-efficiency standards.

A reason to watch the latest developments in Washington regarding greenhouse gas emissions is concern that HFC refrigerants could one day face greater government regulations or even phaseouts. HFCs are not ozone-depleting gases, but some do have a perceived high global warming potential.

Contractors in the United States have a few complaints about submitting refrigerant for reclamation. Among them are the costs and the complexity of reclamation options. Their counterparts in Canada point to a system in that country that seems to be a lot less costly and confusing. Canadian contractors simply take recovered refrigerant back to their local supply houses, drop it off - and forget about it.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is most often identified with projects in which the primary climate control is HVAC, such as in office buildings. But it is also gathering more and more attention on the refrigeration side, especially in supermarkets.

Joe Marchese provides his practical knowledge to mechanics at a steel plant five days a week, to students at a local community college a couple nights a week, to a growing audience of subscribers to his technical Website, and to readers of The NEWS with his monthly column.

In the compressor sector, recips, rotaries, scrolls, screws, and centrifugals continue to jockey for position and expanded acceptance in wider and wider ranges of HVACR applications. Most all had their advocates and new versions of all types at the 2008 AHR Expo.