As high GWP refrigerants are increasingly phased out and leading industries go green, the need to find alternative, low GWP refrigerants for Glass Door Merchandisers and other food service equipment grows. But what happens to the performance of the GDMs when opting for low GWP? What about the safety of the natural refrigerants? And are the required components available at reasonable prices?
The questions are many when contemplating a switch from traditional refrigerants to low GWP including natural refrigerants such as propane and CO2. This article explores the opportunities for the low GWP refrigerants and seeks to answer some of the questions to help you find the right solution.
For the last 5-10 years, leading players in the beverage industry have been exploring different paths to a greener image through reduced carbon emissions. Replacing HFCs with low GWP refrigerants in the millions of Glass Door Merchandisers (GDM) is one of the most direct ways to achieve an improved carbon footprint. At the same time, use of low GWP refrigerants enables improved energy efficiency, the parameter that provides the largest positive impact on the carbon footprint.
Many substitute refrigerants have been tested in the development process, and two natural refrigerants – propane and CO2 – have emerged as the preferred alternatives in the industry, delivering performance and cost-effectiveness comparable to that of the well-known HFCs. A couple of new, synthetic refrigerants, e.g. R1234ze and R1234yf, have also shown potential, but at the moment they are not so widely used.
This article will focus on comparing the advantages and challenges of the natural refrigerants that are most used by the GDM industry at the moment, propane and CO2, to aid in choosing the optimal solution.