## Refrigeration a **nd Air Conditioning Sector Stakeholder**  **Workshop: Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration** 

December 16

, 2013
1:00 P M

– 3 :00 PM EST 1310 L Street NW, Washington DC, Room 152



## Concept Note

EPA is hosting a series of workshop s for interested stakeholders to exchange information on the sectors considered under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program and included for analytical purposes in EPA’s Vintaging Model. R efrigeration and air conditioning is the largest SNAP sector ; therefore , the Agency will be hosting multiple workshops on different end

uses and applications within the refrigeratio n and air conditioning sector.

This workshop will focus on commercial and industrial refrigeration end

- uses and applicat ions.
This workshop will address refrigerants used in all parts of the cold chain, including refrigerated transport, cold storage warehouses, vending machines, retail food refrigeration, commercial ice machines, and very low temperature refrigeration syste ms. This workshop will also address industrial process refrigeration systems and ice skating rinks.

The SNAP program was established in 1994 by Section 612 of the Clean Air Act to ensure that alternatives to ozone

- depleting substances used in key sectors pose l ower overall risk to human health and the environment than what is currently or potentially available. Toward that end, SNAP reviews alternatives based on toxicity, flammability, ozone

- depletion potential, global warming potential, environmental fate, and other criteria. On June 25, 2013, President Obama announced the Climate Action Plan that will “[keep] the United States of America a leader, a global leader in the fight against climate change.” As part of his plan, President Obama directed EPA to use its authority through the SNAP Program “to encourage private

- sector investment in low

- emissions technology by identifying and approving climate

- friendly chemicals while prohibiting certain uses of the most harmful chemical alternatives.” EPA hosted a separate SNAP Stakeholder meeting on August 22, 2013, to begin a dialogue between stakeholders and EPA on next steps and effective app roaches going forward to meet the goals for the SNAP program.

The purpose of th e December 16 th sector workshop is to foster dialogu e between stakeholders
and EPA

, and discuss information on the current and future use of various refrigerants in commercial and industrial refrigeration applications

. To help frame our discussion, please consider the questions below ahead of the meeting.

## Agenda

1. Welcome & Introductions

2. Background

a. Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program

b. President’s Climate Action Plan

c. GreenChill

d. Vintaging Model

3. Discussion

a. In many sectors, SNAP is receiving an increased number of submissions. SNAP currently has several commercial refrigeration submissions and has acted on others in recent years. i. Do you anticipate sharing new substitutes for commercial and/or industrial refrigeration with SNAP soon? ii. Do you fore see more transitions from existing alternatives?

b. Where a transition has been made, particularly to climate

- friendly alternatives, what benefits have you experienced from making the change?

c. What are some ways that SNAP can help “encourage private

- sector investment in low

- emissions technolog[ies](?)”

d. Under what circumstances/conditions would it make sense for EPA to change the listing status of certain high

- GWP HFCs?

e. What are barriers to adoption of safer alternatives? i. What transition times are needed to adopt alternatives? ii. What end uses will require continued servicing and for how long?

f. How can EPA provide a degree of certainty for future investments while “prohibiting certain uses of the most harmful” alternatives?

g. Can your company or trade association share additional data to inform ou r understanding of the cold chain?