Refrigeration and Air Conditioning SNAPStakeholder Workshop:Commercial and Industrial RefrigerationDecember 16, 2013U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyIntroduction• Why commercial and industrial refrigeration, why now?– EPA is conducting a series of SNAP sector workshops– Aug. 22 broad SNAP stakeholder meeting– Workshops on aerosols and foams sectors last spring– Four workshops on the refrigeration and air conditioning sector• Nov. 15: Household Appliances• Dec. 4: Stationary A/C and MVAC• Dec. 16: Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration• Scope of the Meeting– Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program– Climate Action Plan– GreenChill– Vintaging Model• Discussion2Identifying Safer AlternativesSNAP Program• Evaluates substitutes that reduce overall risk to humanhealth & environment in industrial sectors– Aerosols, Foams, Refrigeration and A/C, Solvents,Fire Suppression, Adhesives, coatings & inks, etc.• 400+ substitutes reviewed considering:– Ozone-depleting potential– Global warming potential– Flammability– Toxicity– Local air quality– Ecosystem effects– Occupational & consumer health/safety3Progress Under SNAP• In CAA Title VI, Congress directed EPA to create listingclearinghouse to smooth transition to safer alternatives– Process seamless from consumer perspective– Regular SNAP list updates promote certainty and stability whileencouraging continued innovation• SNAP is an expanding menu of options that:– Are reviewed for health and environmental protection criteria– Reduce ODS/GHG emissions– Promote responsible practices to reduce emissions• Unique review program supporting global transition• Sector-focused coordination– Long-standing cooperation with U.S. stakeholders– Work supporting national/international standards and codes revisions,removing barriers to adoption of alternatives4SNAP Listings• SNAP lists alternatives as acceptable, unacceptable, oracceptable with conditions for use• Alternatives include:– Alternative chemicals/blends– Alternative technologies (e.g., absorption chillers)• Next generation alternatives– Many climate-friendly options• Currently SNAP has approximately 25 active submissions– EPA has been getting many more submissions in recent years,particularly for foams, air-conditioning, and refrigeration56President’s Climate Action Planand HFCs• Continue International Diplomacy– Lead negotiations under the MontrealProtocol to phase down HFCs• Global phase down could reduce over 90 gigatons of CO2eq by 2050,equal to roughly two years' worth of current global GHG emissions– Work with partners in theClimate and Clean Air Coalition to ReduceShort-Lived Climate Pollutantsto promote climate-friendly alternativesto high-GWP HFCs, address standards, & reduce emissions from HFCuse• Address Through Domestic Actions– Use existing Clean Air Act authority ofSignificant New AlternativesPolicy (SNAP) Programto approve climate-friendly chemicals, prohibitsome uses of most harmful7– Provide federal leadership bypurchasing cleaneralternatives to HFCswhenever feasible and bytransitioning to equipment using safer, moresustainable alternativesWhat the Climate Action PlanMeans for SNAP• Prioritize review of alternatives that are safer for theclimate– In the context of SNAP’s broader criteria– Innovative companies have invested in low-GWP alternatives– Forward-leaning manufacturers of advanced technologies andequipment can provide near-term reductions in emissions• Support, fit within, broader HFC strategy– Listing additional low-GWP options positions U.S. industries tobetter meet potential future phasedown steps proposed under theMontreal Protocol– Responds to federal procurement needs to “purchase cleaneralternatives to HFCs whenever feasible”8SNAP: Commercial & IndustrialRefrigeration• Variety of end uses and applications under SNAP– Commercial refrigeration: refrigerated transport, cold storagewarehouses, vending machines, retail food refrigeration,commercial ice machines & very low temperature refrigerationsystems– Industrial refrigeration: industrial process refrigeration systems &ice skating rinks• Increasingly seeing low-GWP technologies in many uses• Several SNAP submissions under consideration– E.g., stand-alone retail food refrigerators, refrigerated transport,very low temperature refrigeration, vending machines9Low-GWP Alternatives inCommercial Refrigeration• Supermarkets– Secondary loop CO2, transcritical CO2systems• Stand-alone equipment (reach-in coolers)– 2011 SNAP listed propane (R-290) as acceptable in new stand-aloneunits only– Increased uptake of hydrocarbons in U.S.• Vending machines– 2012 SNAP listed CO2as acceptable in new equipment– Hydrocarbon submissions under consideration• Refrigerated transport– Hydrocarbon & CO2submissions under consideration• Anticipate additional proposed listings in 201410StandardsUL Standards with Requirements for Flammable Refrigerants• UL 471 Standard for Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers• UL 541 Standard for Refrigerated Vending MachinesUL Standards Lacking Requirements for FlammableRefrigerants:• UL 427 Standard for Refrigerating Units (e.g., walk-in coolers)• UL 563 Standard for Ice Makers• UL 621 Standard for Ice Cream MakersOthers• ASHRAE 15• Building codes11GreenChill•GreenChill is an EPA partnership with food retailers toreduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact onthe ozone layer and climate change•Mission: to motivate and help the supermarket industry to:– Transition to refrigerants with better environmental profiles– Lower refrigerant charge sizes & eliminate leaks– Adopt green refrigeration technologies and environmental bestpractices• 20% of the industry, ~7,300 stores12GreenChill Programs13GreenChill Stakeholders14U.S. EPA Vintaging Model•What?Tool to track U.S. types of equipment (“enduses”) of ODS and substitutes•Where?Major Sectors: Aerosols, Foams, Solvents, FireProtection, Refrigeration/AC•When?Tracks chemical from when first produced andplaced in equipment or product (“consumption”) throughservicing and use until finally recycled/released toatmosphere (“emissions”)•Who?EPA tool developed with input from industry (e.g.,AHRI AC/HP shipment data)– Other data sources (some CBI)•Why?Required reporting and other analyses ofconsumption and emissions of ODS and substitutes15Vintaging Model – Uses• Reporting for international regimes– Consumption and emissions– Annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions– Biannual National Communications (Climate Action Report)• Analysis of HCFC phaseout & servicing needs– Estimated needs and available supplies (MP cap, recoverable)• Projections of consumption and emissions foralternatives (e.g., HFCs)– What if scenarios16AerosolsFoamSolventsRef/ACODS SubstitutesFireCommercial RefrigDomestic RefrigIndustrial ProcessRefrigerationStationary ACTransport RefrigMobile ACSupermarketsCondensing UnitsStand-Alone UnitsIce MakersDisplay CasesVending MachinesSystems/ChillersCold StorageRoadRailShipsContainersResidentialSmall CommercialLarge CommercialReciprocatingDehumidifiersWindow UnitsCentral AC/HPGround-SourcePTAC/PTHPLarge UnitarySmall UnitaryScrollsScrewCentrifugalCFC-11CFC-12Mini-SplitsBusesTrainsLight DutyCarsTrucks/SUVsSchool/TourTransitWine FridgesWater CoolersAerosolsFoamSolventsRef/ACODS SubstitutesFireCommercial RefrigDomestic RefrigIndustrial ProcessRefrigerationStationary ACTransport RefrigMobile ACSupermarketsCondensing UnitsStand-Alone UnitsIce MakersDisplay CasesVending MachinesSystems/ChillersCold StorageRoadRailShipsContainersResidentialSmall CommercialLarge CommercialReciprocatingDehumidifiersWindow UnitsCentral AC/HPGround-SourcePTAC/PTHPLarge UnitarySmall UnitaryScrollsScrewCentrifugalCFC-11CFC-12Mini-SplitsBusesTrainsLight DutyCarsTrucks/SUVsSchool/TourTransitWine FridgesWater CoolersDiscussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions: SectorTransitions• In many sectors, SNAP is receiving an increased number ofsubmissions. SNAP currently has several commercial refrigerationsubmissions and has acted on others in recent years.– Do you anticipate sharing new substitutes for commercial and/orindustrial refrigeration with SNAP soon?– Do you foresee more transitionsfrom existing alternatives?• Where a transition has been made, particularly to climate-friendlyalternatives, what benefits have you experienced from making thechange?– Decreased cost? Improved support for corporate sustainability goals?Better for the environment, performance?• What are some ways that SNAP can help “encourage privatesector investment in low-emissions technolog[ies](?)”• Under what circumstances/conditions would it make sense forEPA to change the listing status of certain high-GWP HFCs?20Additional DiscussionQuestions• What are barriers to adoption of safer alternatives?– What transition times are needed to adopt alternatives?– What end uses will require continued servicing and for how long?• How can EPA provide a degree of certainty for future investmentswhile “prohibiting certain uses of the most harmful” alternatives?• What benefits have you experienced from participation in theEPA’s GreenChill program?– Has GreenChill provided a valuable platform for the exchange ofinformation?• Can your company or trade association share additional data toinform our understanding of the cold food chain?21Discussion