Translations

FOGEL promotes best practices in responsible refrigerant management

4. Environment

Green design

Sector Industry

Year 2010

Country Guatemala

Transmitter

Context

Fogel manufactures commercial refrigerators for exhibition, storage and selling of cold products throughout the American Continent. They utilize cutting-edge technology as well as world-class materials and train their employees to act ethically.

On September 21, 2007, approximately 200 countries agreed to accelerate the elimination of HFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons- a gas refrigerant with a high global warming potential) entirely by 2020 in a United Nations-sponsored Montreal summit. Developing nations were given until 2030. Many nations, such as the United States and China, who had previously resisted such efforts, agreed with the accelerated phase out schedule. In most Latin American countries where Fogel operates, there is little knowledge regarding the environmental impact of the refrigerant and there are no governmental regulations to contain the direct emissions of the HFC's. For this reason, the company has decided to offer more environmentally friendly coolers and make a Campaign for the responsible management of the HFC refrigerant, not only within its company but also with the refrigeration mechanics employed by its customers.

Objectives

Reduce direct emission of HFC’s refrigerants

APPROACH

Internally, the company has established “responsible refrigerant management.” including:

- Awareness creation for both company personnel and customers’ refrigeration mechanics regarding the Global Warming impact of venting the HFC’s into the atmosphere.

- In 1996, the United Nations Organization program for development recognized FOGEL as the first Industry in Latin America and the second industry world wide, on having completed the “Industrial Restructuring in Protection of the Ozone Layer” eliminating the CFC’s used in FOGEL’s commercial refrigeration equipment.

Fogel’s HFC gas-free fridges: Unlike conventional fridges that use cooling gases like HFC R12 and HFC R-134a that, when released to the atmosphere, increase the ozone layer hole, the new fridges use a gas known as R-290, a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon that does not affect it. Furthermore, to isolate internal cold, conventional fridges use a foam blown with R142b gases that negatively impact global warming, whereas the new models use cyclopentane, a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon. On average, a regular fridge spends 264 watts per hour, whereas the new fridges consume less than a regular 100W home light bulb per hour. The above is equivalent to nearly 44% less energy than what a regular fridge used to consume, which in turn represents significant energy savings for shopkeepers and merchants.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Superior environmentally friendly and energy saving product.
Increased customer loyalty through raised environmental awareness.
Reduced production costs by reclaiming recuperated refrigerant in the manufacturing facilities.

Benefits

Reduction of direct emissions of green gas refrigerant HFC “R-134a” by 7,000 kg /year (9,870 kg of CO-2).
Awareness campaign and training for refrigeration technicians in refrigerant management best practices to recuperate and recycle HFC refrigerants.