Comment Log Display

CARB -
 
Funding the proposed low-GWP incentive program will be critical in
establishing a base of reference sites and case studies, which
ultimately encourage other grocery retailers to pursue new low-GWP
refrigerants. The supermarket industry generally lags in acceptance
of new refrigerants for a variety of reasons:
 
- The availability of service technicians with capabilities to
service new system types
- Perceived barriers to available stocked supplies of new
refrigerants
- Perceived increased maintenance costs
- Perceived long-term viability of new refrigerants with changing
environmental regulations
- Perceived energy cost increases resulting from the use of new
refrigerants.
 
As with many emerging technology trends that benefit climate goals,
incentivizing early adopters generates industry buzz and attention
that can jump start an industries' adoption of that new
technology.

As a Certified Energy Manager in retail energy efficiency and
supermarket equipment sales I have personally seen these early
adopters take advantage of similar programs for LED lighting,
rooftop solar, on-site battery storage, electric charging stations,
and glass door retrofits for open refrigerated display cases. Over
and again I have seen these types of customers implement these
changes, internally verify the financial and environmental benefit,
and then roll out retrofits and installation programs to all of
their facilities.
 
Conventional high GWP refrigerants may not have the cachet of other
highly emitting single source polluters such as cars and trucks or
power plants, but they are ubiquitous in our nation and the
industry needs attention to begin to enact change. Let California
lead the way in promoting this change through a temporary program
that uses Cap and Trade funds to provide incentives to large scale
low-GWP refrigeration projects.
 
Best,
Matt diCicco, C.E.M.