Foodservice Equipment & Supplies

JAN 2016

Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazines is an industry resource connecting foodservice operators, equipment and supplies manufacturers and dealers, and facility design consultants.

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22 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • JANUARY 2016 consultant's viewpoint Avoiding the Icebergs Ahead While it appears the industry is getting hit with a one-two punch from the DOE and EPA, that's not entirely the case. F oodservice operators, dealers, designers, service agents, reps and, yes, manufacturers, hang on to your hats. Changes to foodservice refrig- eration regulations that take effect this year could potentially leave you out in the cold. New regulations from both the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will impact our industry in a big way. In their efforts to combat global warming and comply with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) and the Clean Air Act, the DOE and EPA are laying down the law. Fortunately, the foodservice equipment industry has had an opportunity to respond, and there's no need to shiver when thinking about the future of refrigeration. Compliance dates phase in over time, giving our manufac- turing partners just enough time to come up for air. Of course, when word started to spread about these changes, like many others in the industry, I found myself asking, "What does this mean to me, and why should I care?" That prompted me to confer with a longtime colleague, Rick Jones of Impe- rial Brown. Over the years, Rick has helped answer many of my refrigeration-related questions and is, in general, a good and objective resource for consultants like me. Knowing how active Rick has been with Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigera- tion Initiative (AHRI) and other industry associations, I knew he would cut to the chase and provide a clear picture of what's about to happen. And I was right. With his blessing, I will share with you some of what we discussed. What sparked all of this change? The DOE established minimum effciency levels for commercial refrigeration equip- ment, including reach-in coolers and freez- ers and self-contained refrigeration equip- ment, in May of 2014. The next month, the DOE established minimum effciency levels for both walk-ins of certain sizes and the associated refrigeration equipment. Finally, in developing its Signifcant New Alternatives Policy, commonly referred to as SNAP, the EPA outlined what types of refrigerants and insulation manufacturers can use. SNAP came down in July 2015. (For a more detailed look at the myths and realities about these regulations, check out this month's Green Tip on page 94). While it appears the industry is get- ting hit with a one-two punch from the DOE and the EPA, that's not entirely the case. For most manufacturers, meeting the DOE's energy effciency requirements won't be as challenging as meeting the EPA's refrigerant standards. That's because the latter appears to be a huge undertaking that requires retooling for use of new refrig- erants and expensive re-testing to meet UL listings on different refrigeration designs. SNAP remains an ever-evolving program due to the fact that as new infor- mation becomes available regarding hu- man health, environmental risk and avail- able substitutes, requirements may change. The primary driver of the current SNAP evolution is greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerants and foam blowing agents that are used for insulation. New remote walk-in cooler refrigeration systems will require substitutes beginning By Ray Soucie, FCSI, LEED AP President RSA, Inc. ray@rsafoodservicedesign.com

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