Author: kwrms

  • The Final Word on R-22

    First published in Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer Magazine November 2015 EPA’s determination means a lot less virgin refrigerant will be available. But nobody knows how much R-22 has been stockpiled, or what will happen to pricing. A few weeks ago, the EPA issued its final determi­nation on the amount of virgin R-22 allowed to be…

  • Opportunity in a Snap

    First published in Accelerate America Magazine November 2014 Those who pay attention to the goings-on at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have probably noticed the recent proposal by the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program to make it illegal to use certain HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) refrigerants that are potent global warming gases in new commercial refrigeration…

  • What Is Your Used R-22 Worth?

    First published in Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer Magazine October 2014 About five years ago at the FMI Energy Conference, I gave a plenary presenta­tion on the EPA’s R-22 phaseout. I posed a question to the audience: Why were supermar­kets paying people to come and haul away their used R-22? I commented, admittedly somewhat facetiously, that…

  • What’s All the Hubbub, Bub?

    First published in Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer Magazine September 2014 What’s legal, and what’s not, under EPA’s proposed new rule? Will 134a be banned? Do you have to use natural refrigerants as of 2016? Here are the answers — well, at least some of them. A few weeks ago, the EPA pro­posed a new rule that…

  • Are we over-complicating this?

    Article on www.SmartBlogs.com 30 June 2014: A new generation of entrepreneurs turn their talents to healthier food So much attention is paid to all kinds of technologies to extend the shelf life of refrigerated food, with fancy supply chain efficiencies, inventory forecasting, and the like. Then you find out that, at the end of this…

  • Stating the Obvious

    Article on www.RTCC.org 13 May 2014:Banning HFCs from 2020 could make big climate impact – study I am puzzled by this type of headline. Of course banning HFCs as of any point in time will make a big climate impact. They give numbers of what would be achieved if HFCs were banned in 2020 ……