Refrigerant panel tackles tough issues surrounding refrigerant phase outs
August 26, 2014 | By HPAC Magazine
The Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) held its 46th Annual General Meeting and Conference in Montreal, QC, from August 20-23. A highlight of the event was a panel discussion titled The Future of Refrigerants: Get Ready For Changes. Wholesalers, manufacturers, contractors, and ultimately end users, will be impacted by the move to low GWP refrigerants.
“The EPA is moving to delist some replacement refrigerants. Some of the newer refrigerants are flammable or even toxic or high pressure in comparison to the relatively benign older refrigerants,” said Jim Flowers of Linde Canada moderator of the discussion and 2014-2015 HRAI chair. He then introduced panelists Dennis Kozina (Copeland/Vitter Emerson Climate Technologies), Tom Boutette (B&B Trade Distribution Centre), Rob Flipse (Gordon Latham Ltd.) and Ron Vogl (Honeywell Fluorine Products) who tackled different areas of concern for manufacturers, wholesalers and contractors.
In addition to refrigerants, other hot topics at the conference included training and retention; Net Zero; system design; and controls. As Roy Collver put it during his session on combi systems, “It is all about controls.”
Look for more extensive coverage of HRAI’s AGM and conference in HPAC October.
HRAI Annual Awards
2014 Merit Award: Ron Robinson, Hydronics Comfort Advisor, AtlasCare
HRAI Life Member Award: Rusty Jennings, Carrier Canada (retired)
HRAI President’s Recognition Award: Jacques Brodeur, NRCan; Tom Voke, Bramalea Secondary School; Randy Dyck, Elmira District Secondary School; and Eric Foren, MasterTech HVAC and Plumbing, Dartmouth, NS.
2014 Education Supporter Award: Emco Corporation, Brandon, MB; Johnstone Supply, South Plainfield, NJ; Lennox Industries, Winnipeg, MB; Manitoba Building Officials Association; Master Group, Dartmouth, NS; Zonefirst, Elmwood Park, NJ; City of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON; Ecco Supply, Saskatoon, SK; Kerr Controls, Fredericton, NB; La Cite Collegiale, Ottawa, ON; and Nova Scotia Power, New Glasgow, NS.
2014 Education Leader Award: Tom Cates, On the Level HVAC Design, Komoka, ON
