INNOVATION / COLD-SIDE MEET THE EXPERTS


KEEPING COLD-SIDE EQUIPMENT ON TRACK


GLENN CAMPBELL FCSI, MD, Cohesion Consulting; KATJA BECK FCSI, consultant, Cini-Little International; MICHELE GRANZIERA, general manager, Scotsman Industries; PHIL LLEWELLYN FCSI, director, Project Design Consulting; JASON HARTMAN, director of marketing, American Panel; MICHAEL FLATOW FCSI, consultant, Flatow & Drews Consulting


Although the fundamental principles of refrigeration technology do not change significantly over time, there is always pressure to innovate, not least because regulatory change demands new efficiency and environmental performance standards. Jim Banks talks to industry experts about balancing the impact of new regulations with the needs of clients, as well as the role of manufacturers in that tricky equation.


T


he design of traditional refrigeration equipment using the compression of


gases has changed very little in the last century. Any new refrigeration technology that might be developed would need to be rigorously evaluated and it would take years for manufacturers of cold-side equipment to bring it to market, as building up the supply chain of components would be a lengthy process, but this does not mean that innovation is a thing of the past. What has changed is


the regulatory environment. Refrigeration and freezer units in today’s commercial kitchens must adhere to increasingly strict standards, and manufacturers face a challenge to keep up. For instance, the crackdown on refrigeration gases with high global warming potential (GWP) is a pressing theme for regulators across the world. “Traditional vapor


compression refrigeration systems, which have been the dominant technology for a long time, continue to be the most widely used today,” says Phil Llewellyn FCSI, director of Project Design Consulting in New Zealand. “Recent advances in this field, including the adoption of low GWP natural refrigerants and the development of high-efficiency compressors, have ensured that this technology remains an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient option.” “It is anticipated that


well-designed, high-efficiency


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