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.
BAC Announces AI Platform
Baltimore Aircoil Company Inc. (BAC), announced the launch of its AI-driven Loop Platform. The company said the platform is tailored for end users, including building and facility owners, managers, and maintenance professionals. BAC said the benefit to maintenance professionals is the platform's ability to predict potential issues before they escalate, streamlining maintenance schedules and minimizing unexpected downtime.
Read MoreIIAR Unveils Enhanced Membership Benefits
IIAR has a wide range of benefits available to members, from professional development opportunities to industry networking, and as of July 1, members have access to even more than they did before. "Our members get access to the most reliable up-to-date information about the refrigeration industry, best practices, and ongoing education," said Lisa Berryman, member services manager for IIAR. "We are constantly looking at new ways to provide value, which is why we now include more training and unlimited access to technical information as part of membership."
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Güntner Announces New Product Offering
Güntner announced a new product offering that the company said “leverages a versatile, data-driven strategy to optimize energy efficiency, enhance system reliability and provide analysis and monitoring.” The new product range of data-driven controllers and solutions, called aicore (pronounced “i-core”), includes the current next-generation controllers called aicore air (previously GMMnext), and aicore hydro (previously GHM).
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Paraguay Becomes Latest Country to Adopt IIAR Standards
The Board of Directors of the International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration, during the Institute’s last meeting in June 2024, approved an agreement with Paraguay’s Institute of Standards and Metrology. The Institute of Standards and Metrology said it will start adopting IIAR standards as Paraguay’s national standards. Paraguay has one of the largest meat and dairy industries in Latin America. The country exports their products worldwide, including to Brazil, which is the largest exporter in the world of meat products.
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Calibration Technologies Attends IIAR Guadalajara Conference
Calibration Technologies said it attended this year’s IIAR CAPÍTULO MÉXICO Refrigeración Industrial Conference in Guadalajara Mexico. Representing the company at the IIAR event were CTI employees Mike Cusanno and Miguel Lopez. The company said in a statement that ”CTI is excited to participate in IIAR’s international events. As nations around the globe are working towards lower emissions by adopting natural refrigerants, IIAR is providing the much-needed safety standards and CTI is providing gas detectors for NH3, CO2, and hydrocarbons.”
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Industry Eyes HFC, PFAS Restrictions; IIAR Releases AIM Act Phasedown Guide by GWP
The International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration’s Education Committee announced that it has finalized the creation of a one-pager guide to the AIM Act phasedown, to quickly illustrate the scope of refrigerants currently being used, based on their global warming potential. The IIAR AIM Act Fact Sheet can be downloaded as a PDF from the IIAR AIM Act website: What is the AIM Act? (iiar.org)
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Work on the AIM Act Continues
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to move forward with regulations under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, which will restrict the use of hydrofluorocarbons. The agency is currently working on Subsection (h), which focuses on managing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and substitutes. Tristam Coffin, co-founder of Effecterra and president of sustainability, policy, and technical services, said the EPA doesn't have a statutory date for finalizing the Subsection.
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States Target HFCs with New Regulations
The refrigeration industry is experiencing regulatory pressures to transition away from HFC refrigerants at all levels. "While federal regulations under the AIM Act are a key factor in the shift away from HFCs, policymakers in California, New York, and Washington are sending an even stronger signal to move to future-proof refrigerants as quickly as possible," said Danielle Wright, executive director of the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council.
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Emergency Release Reporting Best Practices Ensure Compliance
There are multiple regulatory requirements surrounding the use of ammonia in industrial refrigeration applications, including emergency release reporting requirements. Under the requirements, accidental releases must be promptly reported and managed, but it is important for users to avoid both under and over reporting. “According to EPA regulations, a facility must report any leak that exceeds the chemical’s reportable quantity (RQ)—100 pounds for anhydrous ammonia—immediately upon becoming aware of the leak,” said Bent Wiencke, principle at Chill-On LLC. “The EPA has established through precedent that ‘immediately’ means ‘within 15 minutes.'"
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Leading the Way: How IIAR’s Regulatory Relationships Create Value for the Industry and Agencies
For regulators and their industry partners, developing relationships can benefit both groups as they work towards improving safety, ensuring compliance, and shaping future regulatory requirements. As an association, IIAR is focused on advocacy and ensuring the industry has a voice. “If we don’t use our voice, that voice isn’t going to be heard,” said Lowell Randel, senior vice president of government and legal affairs at the Global Cold Chain Alliance.
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Cybersecurity Remains a Critical Concern as System Connectivity Increases
“Industrial refrigeration systems are becoming more and more automated. The internet is touching almost every part of the business now,” said Lowell Randel, senior vice president of government and legal affairs at the Global Cold Chain Alliance. "As such, if that is compromised, it can influence your refrigeration systems, production, all of your data, and all of your financials, so having an eye toward cyber defense is something everybody needs to do."
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GEA Releases Web Application Monitoring
Systems manufacturer, GEA said that it has developed a web application to help customers minimize unplanned downtime by enabling location-independent monitoring and troubleshooting for heating and cooling systems. The company said a team of heating and cooling specialists and data experts monitor and analyze the connected systems while the system uses push notifications and links to inform the user about faults and errors as well as recommended troubleshooting options.
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President’s Message
We’re all back at work after a fun and successful annual conference in Orlando, and now it’s time to set some new goals and carry the momentum of our recent meeting into the rest of the year.
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OSHA Proposes Expansion to Emergency Response Requirements
In February 2024, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed new rule that would expand the reach of its emergency response standard. OSHA stated it has undertaken the rulemaking because it believes current OSHA emergency response and preparedness standards are outdated and incomplete. According to OSHA, current regulations do not address the full range of hazards facing emergency responders, lag behind changes in protective equipment performance and industry practices, conflict with industry consensus standards and are not aligned with many current emergency response guidelines provided by other U.S. federal agencies (e.g., Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency).
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Remembering Bob Burdick, IIAR Piping Handbook Author
Bob Burdick, the Vice President of Bassett Mechanical from 1967 – 2002, longtime IIAR member, first chairman of the IIAR piping committee, and one of the original authors of the IIAR piping handbook, has passed away. Most of Bob’s working life was spent at Bassett Mechanical, where he became a specialist in ammonia refrigeration.
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2024 Conference Recap
More than 1,900 attendees participated in the International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration’s Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo in Orlando, Florida, setting a new record for attendance. The event provided the latest information on industry issues, technical knowledge, and networking, as well as an opportunity to see new equipment for those involved in the natural refrigeration industry.
Read MoreKelvin Group Announces GMS Services Acquisition
Kelvin Group and equity firm Southfield Capital announced that Refrigeration Design and Service, RD&S, an industrial and commercial mechanical services company, has completed the acquisition of GMS Services, a Charleston, SC-based commercial refrigeration and HVAC services provider. The company said the acquisition marks a milestone in RD&S's growth trajectory, expanding its geographic footprint within the Southeast and Great Lakes region as well as its commercial refrigeration service offerings.
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IIAR Recognizes Two Industry Thought Leaders with Presentation Excellence Awards
The IIAR Award for Presentation Excellence was presented to two deserving individuals during IIAR’s annual meeting. Todd Jekel, University of Wisconsin Madison, received IIAR’s 2024 Award for Presentation Excellence for the English presentation of his paper titled “Application and Considerations for Internal Relief in Industrial Refrigeration Systems.” Jekel is a longtime contributor to NRF research projects. IIAR also recognizes colleagues who contribute non-English papers to the program. Christian Ali Muñoz Duran, MR Braz & Associates, PLLC, received IIAR’s 2024 Award for Presentation Excellence for his paper titled “Paquetes de carga crítica de amoníaco DX versus sistema centralizados de amoníaco recirculado, como alternativas de solución para sistemas de refrigeración industrial.”
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IIAR Signs MOUs with IIR and NASRC
IIAR has signed memorandums of understanding with the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) and the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC). Schrift said MOUs are important in documenting a board-approved framework that allows IIAR and other organizations to work together on mutually beneficial projects. “In general, IIAR signs MOUs with organizations that share a vision that matches or overlaps with IIAR’s goal to promote the use of natural refrigerants,” Schrift said.
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NRF Fun Day Raises Nearly $80,000 for Scholarships and Research
The Natural Refrigeration Foundation’s Fun Day during the annual conference featured golf, cornhole, and pickleball, raising $77,000 to support the foundation’s scholarships and research projects. All of the events reached their maximum capacity. “We had 100 golfers, and we had more that were interested that were not able to participate because we were capped by the golf course,” said Yesenia Rector, meetings and international program director for IIAR. “We had 16 teams of two people each for pickleball and 16 teams of two people each for cornhole.”
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