ATMOsphere, the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com, has finalized the program for the ATMOsphere (ATMO) America Summit 2024 on natural refrigerant-based cooling and heating, with sessions on refrigeration and heat pump case studies, end users, market trends, project funding, training, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and policy; famed environmental attorney Robert Bilott will deliver the keynote.
This 13th annual edition of ATMO America will be held Monday, June 10, and Tuesday, June 11, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. Attending will be key industry experts, including manufacturers, policymakers, end users and contractors to learn about the latest developments in natural refrigerant-based systems.
You can now register for the event here. End users can register for free, and contractors/installers of HVAC&R systems are eligible to receive one free ticket per organization, with a 50% discount on additional tickets. The full program can be viewed here.
A wide range of refrigeration and heat pump case studies involving the use of CO2 (R744), propane (R290) and ammonia (R717) as the refrigerant will be presented by industry-leading companies. Energy Recovery, Kysor Warren and Kroger; Copeland and Future Green; Hillphoenix; Güntner, Zero Zone and Amond World; VEIC; and Zero Zone and Coolsys will present CO2-based refrigeration case studies. In addition, Dorin; Hillphoenix and Flō Energy Solutions; Intellihot; and Flow Environmental Systems and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs will deliver case studies on CO2-based heat pump applications. Other related case studies will be presented by Axiom Cloud and Ratio Institute.
Delivering case study presentations on propane-based refrigeration will be Tecumseh and TruMed; Embraco and Structural Concepts; and VEIC. Ammonia-based refrigeration case studies will be presented by Evapco and ColonialWebb jointly, as well as Smart Care. An ammonia absorption heat pump case study will be offered by Stone Mountain Technologies.
Other technology highlights include:
- Leading end users will share their experiences using different types of natural refrigerant technologies, including benefits, challenges and future plans. Speakers will include Bob Siler, Operations Engineer, Amazon; Megan Rodriguez, Senior Manager of Refrigeration, Grocery Outlet; Aer Teale, Director of Engineering, Lineage Logistics; and a representative of General Refrigeration.
- The latest natural refrigeration market trends in North America will be discussed by representatives of Hillphoenix, Hussmann, Copeland, Kysor Warren Epta US and Johnson Controls–Frick/M&M Carnot.
- Heat Pump Market Trends: the latest market trends related to natural refrigerant heat pumps in North America will be addressed by Andy Baker, Owner & Project Manager, YourCleanEnergy.
- Training Panel: Natural refrigerants-based training and certification opportunities will be discussed by Rusty Walker, Training Director, North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), and Jim Barron, Executive Director, Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association (RETA).
PFAS and policy
The link between PFAS and refrigerants will be a focus of ATMOsphere America.
Robert Bilott, the pioneering U.S. environmental attorney, will open the conference with a keynote on how he exposed the global threat of PFAS, with lessons for the cooling and heating industry.
Bilott’s keynote will be followed by a PFAS and global warming panel discussion including Richie Kaur, Non-CO2 Climate Pollution Reduction Advocate, Climate & Energy, for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); Mindi Messmer, Senior Research Scientist for MedStar Health and former New Hampshire State House Representative; Gabriel Salierno, Green Chemist for the Toxics Use Reduction Institute; and a representative of ATMOsphere.
In addition, a policy and standards session will discuss developments impacting the uptake of natural refrigerants in North America. Speakers will include:
- A representative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Stratospheric Protection Division at the Office of Atmospheric Programs, who will provide an update on the U.S. AIM Act
- Ram Narayanamurthy, Deputy Director, Building Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Suzanne Hagell, Chief of the GHG Mitigation Bureau, Office of Climate Change, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
- Beth Porter, Senior Climate Policy Analyst, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)
- Dr. Rajan Rajendran, Advisor – EIA, Five Rivers Research and Consulting
- Tony Lundell, Senior Director of Standards and Safety, International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration (IIAR)
There will also be a session on current and future funding options for natural refrigerant-based systems, including the $65-million California F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP), and other states actively pursuing funding programs. Presenters will include Danielle Wright, Executive Director, NASRC, and Michael FitzGibbon, Branch Chief, Research Division, California Air Resources Board (CARB).
At the end of day one, the conference will hold the ATMO Awards/North America ceremony recognizing companies and individuals leading the transition to natural refrigerant-based technologies.
The Platinum sponsor of ATMO America 2024 is Hillphoenix. Gold sponsors are Hussmann, Kysor Warren, Copeland, M&M Carnot and Frick. Information on sponsorships can be found here.
