North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council Launches Initiative to Reduce Supermarket Refrigerant Leaks
The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of climate-friendly natural refrigerants in supermarkets, announced the release of a free leak reduction guide outlining the major sources of refrigerant leaks in existing systems.
The document suggests equipment specification procedures for new refrigeration systems based on data acquired by NASRC supermarket members to prevent leaks and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Danielle Wright, executive director of NASRC, said:
"Together with NASRC, U.S. retailers are proactively taking steps to characterise and reduce refrigerant leaks over the lifespan of refrigeration systems. By taking the lead in identifying these issues and proposing solutions, we hope to drive a new industry standard and reduce the cost burden through economies of scale.”
One of the primary sources of super-polluting hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant (HFC) emissions is supermarket refrigeration. The annual climate impact of supermarket and grocery store refrigerant leakage is estimated by the NASRC to be 55 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e).
“Refrigerant leaks are more than a climate issue,” said Wright. “They present logistical challenges and additional expenses for supermarkets.”
To address this, NASRC members compiled a data-driven list of the major causes of refrigerant leakage. Members identified leak reduction strategies and communicated them to key original equipment manufacturers. Members from 14 retailers included major and regional chains with almost 17,000 sites in the United States.
At its annual Sustainable Refrigeration Summit on October 24 - 28, NASRC will highlight the report's findings as well as solutions to climate-damaging refrigerants.
Source: Business Wire
