International. Danfos conducted a recent online survey to measure industry acceptance of CO2 cooling systems in North America. Intended to serve the industry as an indicator, the survey gathers input from commercial and industrial refrigeration equipment manufacturers, consultants, contractors and end users.
- CO2 in commercial refrigeration: According to the survey, the commercial refrigeration industry continues to view CO2 as a viable primary technology for refrigeration (82 percent of OEMs, 91 percent of consultants and end users) and about half of OEMs who consider CO2 refrigeration to be at least 16 percent of their businesses within the next five years. In a similar study conducted in 2012, less than 20 percent of OEMs saw CO2 comprising at least 16 percent of their business.
Most commercial refrigeration consultants and end users are engaged today in CO2 projects, citing pending legislation/regulations and corporate sustainability goals are the main drivers of the decision to use CO2. However, at the same time, they identified the high initial cost of the system as a primary barrier to deployment.
- CO2 in industrial refrigeration: The survey also identified similar acceptance in the industrial refrigeration market. 57% of OEMs and contractors and 43% of consultants and end users indicated that they had already participated in a CO2 cooling project or had plans to do so. However, OEMs and contractors don't see CO2 becoming a significant part of their business in the near future.
OEMs and contractors identified ammonia removal, in terms of improved safety and reduction of ammonia load, as key factors in co2 use. Consultants and end users agree, but also cited the pending legislation/regulation as important factors. In contrast to the commercial refrigeration industry, industrial refrigeration respondents said that the main barrier to CO2 use is the result of end-user and contractor familiarity and training.
