Service contractors who install and work on ice machines, freezers, and coolers have some good news: Manufacturers of such products are continuing to produce more models, often to fine-tune their already expansive product lines.

Smart energy efficiency programs require key players involved with store power consumption (such as those involved with refrigeration and air conditioning, as well as lighting) to “take control of changing energy markets.” That was the thrust of a joint presentation by John Seaburg of Energy & Environmental Services and Scott Moore of Albertson’s Inc., during this year’s Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Expo.

Supermarkets can’t just be efficient; they have to be superefficient. Proper service, maintenance, and design play key roles. Employees need to buy into energy management plans. That was the theme of the Food Management Institute’s (FMI’s) 23rd Annual Energy & Technical Services Conference.

HVAC instructor Bill Matthews is a subscriber to the “more is better” theory, and his commitment to providing a broad range of offerings to his students has helped him earn runner-up status in The News’ third annual HVACR Instructor of the Year contest.

One area in which CO2 is getting an early wave of attention is mobile A/C and transport refrigeration. Researchers from the Thermodynamic Institute in Germany looked at compressors that might work in such applications.

At a joint session of Purdue University’s Compressor and Refrigeration Conference, a high-ranking official in the Department of Energy (DOE) called on HVAC engineers to continue to improve energy efficiencies, but also offered a slap on the wrist to “tradespeople who use bad practices in the field.”

A new generation of contractors and technicians may not know how the industry moved from CFCs to HFCs. To a great measure it was the result of government regulations, but officials merely called on our industry to come up with alternatives to CFCs. The industry responded. DuPont, for example, has taken part in the search for alternatives from the beginning, and the search for acceptable alternatives is not over, says the company.

Perhaps it is time to think of HFCs as only being conditional “long-term replacement” refrigerants for the air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR) industry. At the recent Purdue University Compressor and Refrigeration Conference, a number of papers looked at alternatives to HFCs, with CO2 being the most talked about.

Jerry Elam left a full-time contracting business to bake cookies. But his experience from his former occupation has been helpful in his new one. His baked goods business has grown so big that refrigeration is vital. And his company’s refrigeration systems have benefited from his expertise and that of his refrigeration equipment suppliers.

In these times of economic insecurity, the term “return on investment” can sometimes get down to a matter of immediate dollars and cents. But the HVACR industry may need to step back for a bit of broader perspective.