The IIAR Condenser Magazine is a quarterly publication that contains technical articles, regulatory and code updates, industry news and information about IIAR activities and publications. It is distributed by email to all IIAR Members and IIAR Contact lists.
WINTER 2026 NATURAL REFRIGERATION REVIEW
The Natural Refrigeration Review issues are available as a PDF downloads for both lIAR Members and Non-members, or as individual article posts below. Click the button below to view the full issue, or scroll through all the individual issue articles below.
IIAR adds Resource Center in 2025, Begins Analysis of US Ammonia System Regulations
IIAR began a closer examination of the federal General Duty clause, Process Safety Management and Risk Management programs for ammonia refrigeration systems, built a new website section to highlight member resources, automated its peer review process for technical papers, and expanded events in Latin America in 2025.
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NRF Research Validates CO2 Standard
A new research project funded by IIAR’s Natural Refrigeration Foundation has validated a key calculation used in the ANSI/IIAR CO2-2021 Safety Standard for Closed-Circuit Carbon Dioxide Refrigeration Systems. The calculation is used to generate a formula that determines the CO2 relief valve sizing recommendations in the CO2 safety standard.
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IIAR 2026 Conference to Feature New Program, Expanded Exhibit Hours
IIAR’s annual conference will deliver a tech-heavy program this year, featuring two auxiliary training and certification programs from the Refrigerating Engineers & Technician’s Association, RETA, and the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council, NASRC, as well as thirty one sessions comprising six educational tracks and expanded exhibit hall hours.
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2026 IIAR Technical Papers Address AI, Heat Pumps, Data Centers
Heat pumps, real life stories from PSM coordinators and the use of AI in refrigeration and waste heat recovery for data centers are a few of the hot topics slated for discussion at IIAR’s 2026 conference in San Antonio. This year’s papers will address several categories spanning safety, CO2 optimization, heat exchangers, cold storage, ammonia charge and more. In addition, a series of panels and workshops will address many of the industry’s focus areas. This year’s papers will address several categories spanning safety, CO2 optimization, heat exchangers, cold storage, ammonia charge and more.
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NRF Unveils Legacy 100 Club
IIAR’s Natural Refrigeration Foundation unveiled a new fundraising effort intended to make the foundation financially secure as it funds scholarships and industry research into the next decade and beyond. The foundation said the new Legacy 100 Fund will be built by contributions of $100,000-each to induct 100 leaders of the refrigeration industry into the Club.
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Jeopardy-Style Conference Session will Highlight IIAR Standards
A new conference session format is brewing ahead of the IIAR annual conference in March according to IIAR conference planners. The session, which will take place during the event’s closing day will include a lively jeopardy-style question and answer format and will focus on IIAR’s standards.
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Water Contamination in an Ammonia Refrigeration System Leads to Higher Costs
In many closed-circuit ammonia refrigeration systems, water contamination can occur over a period of time and the effects of that contamination can easily go unnoticed. One thing water contamination can do is cause an aqueous ammonia solution to be formed, which then replaces anhydrous ammonia refrigerant. This problem can become continuous if it isn’t resolved and will increase over time if the source is not identified.
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Learning from the Past
I am sure that many of us have seen ammonia refrigeration systems that have operated for several decades, with equipment and system components functioning well past recommended operating life. This is a credit to manufacturers, installers, service technicians, and operators. Aging equipment and piping at some point will eventually require replacement. Or the system or portion of it may be decommissioned due to a business discussion.
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OSHA Announces New “Safety Champions” Voluntary Program
In January 2026, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the creation of a new voluntary program called Safety Champions which has been added to the suite of cooperative programs (such as the OSHA Challenge and Voluntary Protection Program) administered by the agency.
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Welcome to San Antonio!
Welcome IIAR members and guests to the 48th IIAR conference, and welcome to San Antonio. While we’re still two years away from our truly historic 50th anniversary, I’d argue we’re entitled to start celebrating now. So much of the work we, and IIAR’s past leaders, have put into advancing natural refrigeration, is paying off these days.
Read MoreAmmonia Refrigeration: a ‘Century-Proof’ Technology
In 1926, ammonia was the dominant refrigerant for large-scale refrigeration applications. Leading up to that point, ammonia refrigeration played a key role in the industrial revolution, earning itself, along with other natural refrigerants, a reputation for being a “century-proof” technology. Spanning the late 1800s, when steam engines gave rise to the first basic mechanical refrigeration systems -- to 2026, when natural refrigerants and specialized equipment are able to deliver precise temperature control -- the natural refrigeration industry underpins many of the most important advancements of modern life.
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IIAR, TRA Announce New Partnership to Advance Natural Refrigerants in Thailand
The Thai Refrigeration Association, representing Thailand’s refrigeration and air conditioning industry, and IIAR signed a memorandum of understanding outlining a recent collaboration, giving TRA access to IIAR’s suite of standards and making it one of IIAR’s global partners.
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MRBraz Expands Construction and Services Division with InterCool USA Integration
MRBraz & Associates, PLLC, announces the strategic expansion of its construction and services division through the integration of InterCool USA’s national infrastructure and technical expertise. This move marks a significant milestone in MRBraz’s commitment to delivering scalable, sustainable, and safety-focused refrigeration solutions across the Americas.
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IIAR Chile Chapter Breaks Attendance Record, Paraguay Adopts IIAR-2
IIAR's Chile Chapter, along with The Chilean Chamber of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, said the organizations' twenty-eighth Seminar on Natural Refrigeration for Latin America drew over 350 attendees, the largest number of attendees in the event's history. “This was the largest IIAR event yet in Chile,” said Yesenia Rector, Vice President of Education, Outreach, and Events.
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Creating Your Pressure Vessel Replacement Framework
When it’s time to replace a pressure vessel in an industrial refrigeration system, the stakes can be high and the questions are many. To help operators, engineers, and manufacturers navigate this complex process, IIAR recently hosted a member webinar titled Considerations for Pressure Vessel Replacement. The presentation laid out a question-and-answer framework designed to guide decision-making and ensure long-term mechanical integrity for your refrigeration system.
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IIAR Delivers IIAR 9 Training at RETA
The International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration delivered its IIAR 9 Certificate Course at the RETA 2025 National Conference Oct 18 and 19 in Spokane, WA. IIAR said it plans to deliver a course for IIAR 6-2025 during the RETA 2026 National Conference. IIAR 9 provides the minimum safety requirements for existing closed-circuit ammonia refrigeration systems as well as provides a method to determine if existing stationary closed-circuit refrigeration systems using ammonia as a refrigerant comply with the minimum system safety requirements. Tony Lundell, IIAR’s Senior Director of Standards and Safety delivered the course.
Read MoreEnergy Efficiency: To Reduce Energy Expenditure, Lower Cost, Clean Evaporator Coils
Numerous factors can contribute to decreases in a refrigeration system’s energy efficiency, not the least of which is its cleanliness. Much of the time, when facility operators see a facility’s efficiency drop, they believe that indicates they must replace the systems with larger units, when in fact, they often simply need to clean the systems they’re currently using - particularly the evaporators. The evaporator is the component of a closed-circuit refrigeration system that absorbs heat by vaporizing liquid refrigerant. The evaporator coil is the part of the system not enclosed in a pressure vessel. There are two types of evaporators: forced draft, in which air is pushed through the coils, and induced draft, with air pulled through the coils by fans.
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Lesson Learned: Where’s that vapor going?
Where’s that vapor going? Sooner or later that question must be answered when some type of work is required on an ammonia refrigeration system. To accomplish the work, the system may have to be opened, and later that portion of the system pressure tested. The pressure testing process will typically involve some amount of ammonia used in the final test, after which the pressure is removed again before the portion of the system tested is placed back into operation.
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IIAR Government Affairs
On September 30th, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule to reconsider policies contained in the Technology Transitions Rule under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act. The AIM Act, passed in 2020, directs EPA to address hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in three main ways.
Read MoreIIAR Releases Hydrocarbon and Ammonia Fact Sheets
The International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration (IIAR) has released two new fact sheets – the Hydrocarbon and Ammonia fact sheets to meet growing demand for accessible, technically sound guidance on natural refrigerants. The newly released fact sheets are part of a trio of refrigerant summaries, including one previously released for CO2. All three cover safety considerations, system guidelines, and design considerations.
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