North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council Welcomes Lowe Corporation as Gold Level Member

MILL VALLEY, Calif.—The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit working to advance climate-friendly natural refrigerants in supermarkets, announces its newest Gold-level member, Lowe Corporation. A collective of 5 pioneering brands comprised of Lowe Rental, LoweConex, Abbey Design Associates (ADA), Portal Kitchens Limited (PKL) and Rental+ who together are committed to delivering sustainable rental services.

Lowe Rental's unique offering, RaaS (Refrigeration as a Service), provides self-contained propane (R290) refrigeration cases. These act as temporary solutions for retailers transitioning to natural refrigerants, minimizing store disruptions and maintaining customer experiences. 

“Our retail services enabled one of the world’s largest retailers to convert stores across the USA to CO2 refrigeration by 2040 without the closure of store locations or disruption to customer sales. Allowing their organization to meet legislated requirements while maintaining 97% of store revenue,” said Kyle Payne, Head of Retail Sales USA for Lowe Rental.

This is an important solution amidst the phase-out of commonly used hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants (HFCs), which are extremely potent greenhouse gases and one of the leading drivers of climate change. Natural refrigerants like CO2, ammonia, and propane have near-zero global warming potential, making them climate-friendly and future-proof natural alternatives to HFCs.

Transitioning to these alternatives, however, requires a costly full system replacement. Stand-alone R290 cases like those available through Lowe Rental offer a flexible solution that enables a gradual transition and reduces store down time. Lowe Rental’s retail services offering is also supported by refrigeration design consultants, Abbey Design Associates, and LoweConex, an asset control technology to monitor refrigerants and detect leaks. This combination provides a holistic solution to support refrigeration infrastructure upgrades.

“As a trusted partner to multi-national retailers across the USA and around the world, we have seen a dynamic shift towards natural refrigerants and energy efficient refrigeration that enables retailers to minimize their environmental impact,” said Richard Epton, Chief Operating Officer USA for Lowe Rental. “It was imperative we partnered with NASRC to play a vital role in addressing barriers to adoption head on, participating in collective discussion to accelerate meaningful action within the retail industry.

By working with stakeholders from virtually every sector of the grocery refrigeration industry, NASRC is leading efforts to accelerate the transition to natural refrigerants. Its membership network represents over 51,000 US food retail locations as well as service contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, consultants, engineering firms, utilities, trade associations, nonprofits, and schools.

“Lowe Corporation’s investment in an NASRC membership demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing natural refrigerants,” said Danielle Wright, NASRC Executive Director. “We’re thrilled to welcome them to our network and look forward to collaborating with them to drive solutions for the industry and the climate.”

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About the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council

The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit working to advance climate-friendly natural refrigerants and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by traditional HFC refrigerants. We collaborate with stakeholders from across the industry, including over 51,000 food retail locations, to eliminate the barriers to natural refrigerants in supermarkets. For more information, visit nasrc.org, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

About Lowe Corporation 

Established 1977 in Northern Ireland, Lowe Corporation has continued to lead and innovate rental solutions for refrigeration and foodservice equipment around the world. Today under five owned brands and operating from eighteen locations throughout UK, USA, Asia and Europe, Lowe brings together an award-winning suite of equipment rental solutions, industry redefining IoT technology and recognised global refrigeration expertise that empowers its customers to achieve their financial and environmental goals.  For more information visit www.lowerental.com, www.abbeydesignassociates.com, www.loweconex.com.

NASRC's Top 10 Accomplishments In 2021

2021 presented the industry with new challenges, but that didn't stop our members from stepping up to accelerate our mission more than ever before!
Here's a snapshot of our top 10 collective accomplishments from 2021:

Check out our top 10 collective accomplishments in 2021!

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1.Sustainable Refrigeration Summit

Hosted the first-ever Sustainable Refrigeration Summit to bring together over 900 supermarket refrigeration stakeholders, government agencies, and policymakers to address the challenges to achieving zero emissions in supermarket refrigeration.

2. Funding Support for Natural Refrigerants

Developed new sources of funding for natural refrigerants: Authored a federal tax credit proposal that is currently in circulation, secured a buyer for our carbon financing pilot, and advanced progress to solidify refrigerant GWP as a metric for utility incentives.

3. Modular Solutions for Existing Facilities

Accelerated technology solutions to enable the modular transition of existing stores to natural refrigerants. Published a report characterizing retailer demand for natural refrigerant-based condensing units to bring more products to the US market. Accelerated the approval of a higher R290 charge limit to increase available self-contained solutions.

4. Workforce Development

Drafted a CO2 curriculum for trade schools & community colleges with ESCO Group, industry stakeholders, and HVACR schools to help build a future workforce that is well-versed in natural refrigerants. Kicked off a workforce development plan to grow the technician workforce.

5. State Incentive Programs

Secured $880,000 in incentives for 12 natural refrigerant projects in California and coordinated the grant deliverables. Mobilized our members and partners to support additional program funding. Worked with other states to share lessons learned and outline future incentive programs.

6. Retailer Leak Reduction Initiative

Formed a Retailer Best Practices Committee to facilitate a retailer-driven leak reduction initiative. Retailers drafted equipment specifications to proactively reduce refrigerant leaks over the lifespan of a system.

7. Pilot Projects & Research Studies

Initiated new field studies and pilot projects on advanced refrigeration technologies to better understand energy performance and other ongoing costs of natural refrigerant solutions. Contributed to the design of a comprehensive M&V study as part of the CARB FRIP grant program.

8. Strengthened Member Network

Grew our membership network to nearly 150 organizations representing over 38,000 food retail locations. Members provided support to NASRC initiatives and participated in member activities, such as Progress Group meetings and monthly End-User Roundtable meetings.

9. Policymaker Engagement

Strengthened relationships with policymakers at the state and federal levels to inform effective policies that address challenges and support the transition to climate-friendly refrigerants. Evidenced by the 60+ policymaker attendees from the federal government and 16 states at our Sustainable Refrigeration Summit.

10. Education & Awareness

Increased awareness of natural refrigerants as a leading climate solution through media coverage, podcast interviews, and other speaking engagements to expand support for the transition away from HFCs.

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Thank you to our members, who are behind all of these achievements!
We look forward to building on the momentum we've created together in 2022.

SEER2 Expands Support for NASRC, Driving Innovative Natural Refrigerant Solutions

Phoenix, Arizona — SEER2, a mechanical design, controls, energy, and implementation firm specializing in sustainable refrigeration and energy efficiency, has recently expanded their support for the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) to the silver level. The NASRC is an action-oriented 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to creating a climate-friendly future for refrigeration through natural refrigerants.

SEER2, which is part of Diehl Equipment Company, Inc., offers expertise in HVAC and refrigeration projects, energy and controls, and compliance and sustainability. Their experience includes managing projects that have helped supermarkets transition to the use of natural refrigerants.

SEER2’s experience is particularly relevant given the recent shift in the supermarket industry toward the use of low-global warming potential (GWP) and natural refrigerants. Supermarkets are pursuing these solutions as a part of their overall commitment to sustainability and in response to a growing body of government regulations concerning the use of high-GWP refrigerants.

At the federal level, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act was signed into law in December of last year as part of the COVID 19 relief package. This legislation calls for the Environmental Protection Agency to issue regulations requiring the phase-down of the production and consumption of HFCs by 85% over the next 15 years. Additionally, California has approved new regulations that will require supermarkets to use refrigerants that have a GWP below 150 in all new stores and set companywide GWP reduction targets for existing stores.

Natural refrigerants, including ammonia, CO2, and hydrocarbons, are climate-friendly and future-proof from a regulatory standpoint, but are associated with a unique set of market barriers that have prevented their scaled adoption. Existing facilities, which represent the greatest opportunity for emissions reduction, are particularly challenging because natural refrigerants are not a drop-in solution and require a financially and logistically challenging system replacement.

NASRC is a 501c3 nonprofit working in partnership with the supermarket industry to drive actionable solutions to natural refrigerant barriers and make them a feasible business choice for supermarkets. The organization recently released a report demonstrating retailer demand for natural refrigerant technology solutions that would allow for the modular transition of existing facilities during the replacement of legacy equipment.

“Retailers need solutions to migrate their existing systems over to low-GWP and natural refrigerants over time,” said Danielle Wright, NASRC executive director.

SEER2 is helping to shape unique solutions to these challenges and has coordinated a number of innovative partial conversions to natural refrigerants in existing facilities, including a recent conversion of a supermarket’s legacy low-temperature cooling system to a CO2 cascade system, for example. The project contributed to a significant overall reduction in the store’s GWP.

“We have been very impressed with how the NASRC has effectively used a moderate budget to drive change and adoption of natural and low-GWP refrigerants in the commercial refrigeration industry,” said Brad Person, president and owner of  SEER2. “With a group like NASRC that has significantly moved the needle forward for sustainable refrigerant solutions, we were glad to continue and increase our support.”

“SEER2 has been a great partner over the years,” said Wright. “Their increased support demonstrates their strong commitment to developing innovating solutions for supermarkets in the transition to climate-friendly refrigerants.”

In addition to SEER2, NASRC’s membership network represents more than 38,000 US food retail locations and stakeholders from virtually every sector of the commercial refrigeration industry, including service contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, consultants, engineering firms, trade associations, distributors, and nonprofits.

More information about SEER2 can be found here: www.seer2.net.

Livingstone Consulting Joins NASRC, Helping US Grocers Meet Sustainability Goals

San Rafael, California — Livingstone Consulting, an engineering and sustainability consulting firm whose scope of expertise includes supermarket refrigeration, has joined the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) at the silver level. The NASRC is an action-oriented 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to creating a climate-friendly future for refrigeration through natural refrigerants.

Livingstone Consulting works with clients across a range of industries on sustainability issues in the built environment, including building services engineering, sustainable design and solutions, onsite energy strategy, decarbonization, building optimization, and refrigerant management. Its experience includes the application of natural refrigerants and related disciplines like supply chain readiness and research and development of emerging technologies and applications.

“Our mission is to pioneer sustainable change in the built environment. What this really means is we are committed to working with partners to strategize and most importantly execute solutions that address environmental & economic challenges, namely climate change. We see natural refrigerants as a critical climate solution and a tremendous opportunity for the supermarket industry,” said Tristam Coffin, Livingstone president.   

Amid the broad trend toward corporate responsibility, pressure has been growing for businesses to address sustainability across their operations. Sustainability is an especially important issue for supermarket operators, who also face increasing legislative pressures to reduce the overall carbon footprint of their refrigeration systems.

“Grocers are caught between growing pressures to transition to climate-friendly refrigerants while improving the energy performance of their refrigeration systems,” said Morgan Smith, NASRC manager of programs & operations.

With zero or near-zero global warming potential (GWP) and a potential to improve energy performance, natural refrigerants are a future-proof solution for increasing refrigerant regulations and could play a key role in reaching corporate sustainability goals. Despite their benefits, barriers such as upfront cost premiums, a shortage of workforce training, and a lack of performance data have prevented the widescale adoption of natural refrigerants in the US.

NASRC, in partnership with its 130-plus stakeholders from across the supermarket refrigeration industry, is addressing those barriers head-on to make natural refrigerants a more feasible business choice for supermarkets.

“The NASRC is not only a leader in the supermarket industry, but they are also a vital environmental organization and unique resource in the sustainable refrigeration solutions and natural refrigerant space. We are proud to be aligned with their mission and join as a member,” said Coffin.  

“Livingstone brings in a unique expertise that will help grocers meet their sustainability goals and successfully navigate increasing refrigerant regulations,” said Smith. “We’re excited to welcome them into our network and look forward to working with them to drive our mission forward.”    

NASRC’s membership network represents more than 24,000 US supermarket locations and stakeholders from virtually every sector of the commercial refrigeration industry, including service contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, consultants, engineering firms, trade associations, distributors, and nonprofits.

More information about Livingstone Consulting can be found here: https://livingstone-consulting.com.

Temprite Supports Efforts to Advance Natural Refrigerants by Joining NASRC

West Chicago, Illinois — Temprite, which manufactures commercial refrigeration components and offers products for all refrigerants, especially all natural refrigerants, has joined the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) at the silver level. The NASRC is an action-oriented 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to creating a climate-friendly future for refrigeration through natural refrigerants.

The demand for natural refrigerants is on the rise as supermarkets face increasing legislative pressures to reduce their overall carbon footprint through energy efficiency and climate-friendly refrigerants.

Natural refrigerants, including ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, have zero or near-zero global warming potential (GWP), making them a future-proof solution for increasing refrigerant regulations. The transition to natural refrigerants in supermarkets has been slow, however, because of barriers like high up-front costs, a lack of data around performance and other ongoing costs, and a shortage of trained service and maintenance technicians.

NASRC, in partnership with its 130-plus stakeholders from across the supermarket industry, is taking action to remove those barriers and make natural refrigerants a strong business choice for supermarkets. Temprite now joins their effort to help supermarkets transition to climate-friendly natural refrigerants.

“We chose to join the NASRC because we want to get the message out about how Temprite’s products are good for the environment in multiple ways, and they help save money by lowering electricity consumption and increasing refrigeration system capacity.  NASRC is an ideal platform for accomplishing those objectives,” said Jim Nonnie, Temprite’s President.

Temprite was founded in 1924 and now supplies energy-efficient coalescent and conventional oil separators, oil reservoirs, drier housings, liquid receivers, suction accumulators, and refrigerant oil management products. The company first introduced its components for CO2 transcritical refrigeration systems in 2006 and has been expanding its natural refrigeration solutions ever since.

“We provide supermarket energy managers and technicians with products, technical data, and practical equations they can use to quantify their energy and financial savings resulting from using Temprite’s products in natural refrigerants systems,” Nonnie continued.

“We’re pleased to welcome Temprite into our growing network,” said Morgan Smith, NASRC manager of programs & operations. “They’ve demonstrated a longstanding commitment to advancing energy efficient natural refrigerant solutions, and we look forward to leveraging their expertise to further accelerate our progress.”

In addition to Temprite, NASRC’s member network represents more than 24,000 US supermarket locations and stakeholders from throughout the commercial refrigeration industry, including service contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, consultants, engineering firms, trade associations, distributors, and nonprofits.

More information about Temprite can be found here: www.temprite.com.