The companies listed in this table are developing technology to help industries become more energy efficient and innovative. Their appearance on the list does not imply an association with Hormel Foods. Hormel Foods does not endorse these companies.
Machine Learning
Leaky cooling systems are hard to detect and tend to lose 20%–30% of their refrigerant gases before the problem is noticed. At home, a wonky fridge can lead to curdled milk or moldy food. In the private sector, refrigerant leaks in manufacturing facilities or grocery stores can lead to costly loss of product.
Two American companies are developing software systems to detect leaks in commercial facilities before they provoke pricey meltdowns. Matelex and Hussmann offer remote monitoring systems that combine sensors installed on cooling systems as well as predictive analytics to collect data on pressure, temperature and refrigerant volume. When the software notes an imbalance, the administrator is alerted so leaks can be fixed before they lead to a system failure.
“The amount of refrigerants emitted across the globe each year have more climate impact than all the trains, ships, buses, airplanes in the United States,” says Tilden Chao, a refrigerant expert at the Yale Carbon Containment Lab. “It’s a very large issue — but in a narrow sector. So targeted intervention can do a lot of good.”
Carbon Dioxide on Steroids
Hydrofluorocarbons were developed in the 1970s as replacements for chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons — refrigerants containing chlorine were found to deplete the ozone layer. But then scientists discovered that HFCs, while not ozone-depleting, were what one professor of atmospheric science called “carbon dioxide on steroids.” In the wake of this discovery, more than 150 countries have signed a treaty to phase out HFCs by 2047. In the United States, the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act requires the use and manufacture of fluorinated gases to drop by 85% over the next 15 years.
Green Refrigerants
The good news is that climate-friendly coolants and technologies already exist.
Although there are no “drop-in” substitutes for HFCs, Chao says, they can be blended with HFOs (hydrofluoroolefins), although some scientists worry that HFOs are a “forever chemical” that may harm human health and the environment.
Meanwhile, natural refrigerants that were popular in the 1800s are making a comeback, including propane, carbon dioxide and ammonia. Each of these alternatives has its own challenges and will require new equipment and retraining of technicians.
Ammonia is readily available, inexpensive, operates at pressures comparable to other refrigerants, and absorbs large amounts of heat.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, but its use as a refrigerant is considered benign because the CO2 used in cooling systems is recovered from industrial waste, resulting in a net zero greenhouse impact. The main challenge to using CO2 is that it operates under very high pressure, making it more vulnerable to leaks.
Hydrocarbon refrigerants such as propane are cheap and have excellent environmental, thermodynamic properties — but are also highly flammable.
These old options combined with new research and innovative technologies point to ongoing advances in how we keep things cool. The greenest alternative for cooling interiors? Better building design: using dense materials such as stone, concrete and earth and planting shade trees helps maintain cool spaces without chemicals.
