Technologies
Supermarkets continue to move forward with new technologies and are taking a proactive stand when dealing with regulations.At the recent Food Marketing Institute Energy and Technical Services Conference in Montreal, talks centered more and more on the secondary-loop method of creating cold for display cases and reach-ins.
The technology has been in the equation for years, but it has really stepped to the forefront to the point where there were implications that the Environmental Protection Agency would look favorably on stores that use such technology.
Efficiencies
Refrigeration efficiency standards are not as clear-cut as the 13 SEER of the A/C side. But at the every-other-year National Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers expo in Anaheim, Calif., there was a strong message to contractors who purchase refrigeration equipment for sale to customers.With California formulating efficiency standards that could be adopted by other states and various associations trying to come up with standards that could become part of a national policy, manufacturers seemed to be saying that they will make equipment that meets the toughest standards and sell those products nationwide. There would not be one set of equipment for tough California and another set to meet less-tough regulations elsewhere.
Education
Education can be found by those who want it. For example, at the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES) International Conference in Atlanta, I gathered information on new initiatives to train today's techs, as well as tomorrow's.I found RSES providing dozens of ways to learn just about any aspect of the industry. The trick is to plug in more persons in need of such training. That re-mains a challenge, but the offerings are there.
The Message
Overall, contractors and technicians should take some comfort knowing that the challenges they face every day concerning new equipment, changing regulations, and the need for ongoing training are being addressed in seminars, forums, and expos in many locales on a regular basis.Peter Powell is refrigeration editor. He can be reached at 847-622-7260, 847-622-7266 (fax), or peterpowell@achrnews.com.
Publication date: 11/07/2005
