From 17-19 June 2013, shecco invited more than 200 participants from North America to join the debate on how to mainstream natural refrigerants across the entire HVAC&R industry in Canada and the USA. The 2nd edition of ATMOsphere in North America provided more clarity on how to address market and regulatory barriers, as well as ways to increase awareness for HFC-free technology.
shecco has organised another successful event in its series of ATMOsphere conferences around the world. Around 200 participants representing HVAC&R industry suppliers, large consumer goods brands and other industrial end-users, NGOs and regulatory bodies met on 18-19 June 2013 in Washington DC to discuss the progress made in introducing sustainable refrigeration, heating and cooling solutions in North America.
”North America has the potential to lead the world in mainstreaming natural refrigerants. There is a clear business case and a growing number of North American based corporations that see this as a competitive advantage. ATMOsphere America helped make this more visible. We are already looking forward to next year where we expect to showcase even greater progress”, says Marc Chasserot, Managing Director, shecco.
Natural Refrigerants on their way to becoming a mainstream solution
With the continuous removal of market and regulatory hurdles and an increasing availability of natural refrigerant technology, participants at the ATMOsphere America conference confirmed that the major push to put the USA on track for becoming a world leader in CO2 and hydrocarbon refrigerant technology is expected to happen very soon. The use of ammonia is expected to remain a mainstream solution over the years to come, with significant potential for additional use in smaller refrigeration and heating solutions with reduced refrigerant charge.
“We can see two big growth markets in the USA and Canada today: the use of hydrocarbons in domestic and light-commercial refrigeration and the use of carbon dioxide in commercial refrigeration. Both are expected to experience rapid growth in the next 5 years, as confirmed by participants attending ATMOsphere America,” says Nina Masson, Head of Market Research shecco.
“Despite the current market shares that are still minute in these sectors as compared to other countries and world regions, North American manufacturers and end-users have the potential to game-change the entire HVAC&R industry by assuming the leadership role to advance the shift towards more sustainable refrigerant technology solutions worldwide,” she adds.
During the introductory session on industry trends, Masson presented the latest findings about the penetration of natural refrigerants in supermarkets around the world, in industrial refrigeration and in light-commercial equipment. Canada is now the country with the 2nd highest numbers of CO2 transcritical stores outside Europe, and after Japan. The U.S. ranks as the 2nd non-European country, after Australia, in terms of the combined number of cascade and secondary systems.
ATMOsphere methodology
The unique mixture of invitation-only workshops, open discussion forums, networking receptions, panel discussions, as well as dedicated presentations and technology case study sessions has proven a successful methodology for involving diverse stakeholders around the world:
“We were able to bring together over 100 companies and organisations interested in or already working with natural refrigerants in North America. Participant feedback has been very positive and we feel the conference really made a difference for the North American natural refrigerants industry. We’re very pleased with the results and excited to organize the next ATMOsphere America in San Francisco in June next year,” says Franziska Menten, Events Manager, shecco.
About shecco
For more than a decade market development expert shecco has been active in helping bring climate friendly technologies faster to market. shecco supports over 100+ partners worldwide in two areas: the HVAC&R sector, where the focus is on sustainable refrigeration, heating & cooling technologies using natural refrigerants; and the transport sectors where an emphasis is put on electric vehicles (cars, heavy duty vehicle, scooters, bikes). shecco offers a variety of services, ranging from world-leading online industry platforms, to market research & consultancy services, events management, funding & grants support, and public affairs.
Contacts
Marc Chasserot
Managing Director
marc.chasserot@shecco.eu
Nina Masson
Head of Market Research
nina.masson@shecco.eu
Franziska Menten
Events Manager
franziska.menten@shecco.eu
Janaina Topley Lira
Media Officer
jana.topleylira@shecco.eu
More Information:
shecco presentation 18 June 2013, ATMOsphere America, Washington DC