Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector Stakeholder 

Workshop: Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration

December 16, 2013

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST

1310 L Street NW, Washington DC, Room 152

Concept Note 

EPA is hosting a series of workshops 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. Refrigeration and air conditioning is the 

largest SNAP sector; therefore, the Agency will be hosting multiple workshops on different enduses and applications within the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. 

This workshop will focus on commercial and industrial refrigeration end-uses and applications. 

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 systems. 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 lower 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 approaches going forward to meet the goals for the SNAP program.

The purpose of the December 16th sector workshop is to foster dialogue 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 foresee 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 our 

understanding of the cold chain?