United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
(6205J)
EPA430-K-93-002
November 1993
vvEPA Stratospheric Ozone Protection
Moving to Alternative
Refrigerants
Ten Case Histories —
Comfort Coolers, Industrial
Process, and Commercial
Refrigeration
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed on paper that contains
at least 50% recycled fiber
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Foreword
The United States and over 125 other countries have signed the Montreal Protocol, the
international agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer. Under the authority of the Clean Air
Act, EPA has issued regulations to phase out the production of ozone-depleting substances. With
very limited exceptions, CFC production and importation will cease in the U.S. at the end of 1995.
Production of HCFCs will be phased out in stages, with a complete phaseout by 2030. Other EPA
regulations require recycling of CFC and HCFC refrigerants;and designate acceptable alternative
refrigerants.
To assist equipment owners in the transition to non-ozone-depleting refrigerants, EPA has
undertaken a "Cooling and Refrigerating Without CFCs" initiative. As part of this initiative, EPA is
publishing these case histories which describe equipment retrofits and replacements actually
implemented by companies around the United States. EPA has endeavored to present a diverse
sample of types of facilities, equipment, and alternative refrigerants. The Agency knows, however, that
there are many other situations not covered by these case histories; we therefore intend to publish
additional case histories. If your company, institution, or agency has completed a retrofit or
replacement of its CFC equipment and would like to become a candidate for one of these case
histories, please let us know.
Every effort has been made to see that these case histories accurately reflect the actions
taken by the companies profiled. However, recommendations about retrofit/replacement procedures
can vary. Companies are urged to check with manufacturers and local authorities in implementing
programs to make the transition away from CFC refrigerants.
For fact sheets on refrigerant conversions and replacements, or to suggest possible case
histories, call the Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline number at 1-800-296-1996.
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Table of Contents
CASE HISTORIES: COMFORT COOLERS
Coventry Management Systems - Texaco Heritage Plaza
New York Life Insurance Company
Westinghouse Electric Corporation
CASE HISTORIES: INDUSTRIAL PROCESS
Eastman Chemical Company
DuPont
CASE HISTORIES: COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION
Market Basket Supermarkets
Jitney Jungle Stores of America
Purr's Supermarkets
Emil Villa's Hick'ry Pit Restaurants
Wawa Convenience Stores
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.United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
(6205J)
November 1993
vvEPA
Stratospheric Ozone Protection
Case History
Houston High-Rise
Successfully Converted
to HCFC-123
'Case Study
Owner
Manager
Type of Facility
Location
Texaco Heritage Plaza ^
Coventry Fund III, Ltd. |
Coventry Management Systems |
Office Building |
Houston, Texas 1
Coventry Management Systems,
a property management firm located in
Houston, has successfully eliminated
CFC-11 from three chillers at the
Texaco Heritage Plaza. Coventry
Fund III, Ltd., the owner of Texaco
Heritage Plaza, commissioned the
conversions and Coventry Manage-
ment Systems, its subsidiary and the
day-to-day manager of the building,
worked closely with Trane (the manu-
facturer of the chillers) throughout the
entire three-year process. The high-
rise is one of the largest buildings in
Houston, with 53 floors and over 1.2
million square feet of commercial
office space.
Trane was chosen to perform the
actual conversions because it had
originally installed the chillers and had
the capability to engineer the
conversions. The first chiller was
converted in 1991, the second in
1992, and the last in 1993. Because
all of the conversions were custom-
engineered, cooling capacity losses
were limited to three percent and
energy efficiency improved by three
percent. Trane reports similar results
from conversions it has performed for
other chiller owners.
Mr. Roma Kirkland, head of
building operations at Texaco Heritage
Plaza, has been following the ozone
depletion issue since the 1980s, when
he first saw television reports about
ozone depletion and read about the
possibility of a CFC phaseout in trade
journals. Upon passage of the Clean
Air Act Amendments of 1990, he
decided that Coventry needed to take
action regarding the use of CFC
refrigerants at Texaco Heritage Plaza.
Soon thereafter, he met with represen-
tatives of Trane to discuss what could
be done. Together, they developed
three options:
• Continue operating the existing
chillers with CFC-11
Purchase new non-CFC chillers
Convert the chillers to a non-CFC
refrigerant
Coventry decided to convert the
chillers to a non-CFC refrigerant for two
reasons:
1. To continue to use CFCs, Coventry
would have had to stockpile CFC-
11 for future use. The tax on
stockpiled CFCs made this option
very expensive. More importantly,
stockpiling is severely restricted by
the Uniform Mechanical Code,
which is legally binding in Houston.
(For safety, the Code restricts the
quantity of refrigerant that can be
, stored at the same site as the
refrigeration equipment.) Coventry
knew the allowed amount would
not be satisfactory for the life of its
chillers.
2. The machines were only five years
old when Coventry began its
planning process. The expense of
new chillers could not be justified
given that the existing chillers were
mechanically sound and could
conceivably be used for another
two decades.
Texaco Heritage Plaza's Converted Chillers
Type
Size
Old Refrigerant
3-stage centrifugal
1,050 tons each
CFC-11
HCFC-123
-------
HCFC-123 was the obvious re-
placement refrigerant because it is the
only alternative to CFC-11 for low-
pressure centrifugal chillers. Coventry
chose to proceed with only one
conversion initially; it would convert the
remaining two only if the first
conversion yielded positive results.
A Conservative Approach
At the time of the first conversion,
there was still considerable uncertainty
about how a conversion would affect
the performance of the chillers. Of
particular concern were reports that this
procedure might reduce the cooling
capacity of the equipment by 20
percent or more. Coventry viewed this
scenario as unacceptable because it
could not meet its cooling requirements
with 20 percent capacity loss and be-
cause the equipment room at Texaco
Heritage Plaza had no extra space for
the installation of supplemental chillers.
Accordingly, an effort was made to
engineer the conversion to minimize
capacity loss. Computer modeling
predicted that both capacity and energy
efficiency would be reduced by six per-
cent if the conversions were custom-
engineered, This amount of capacity
loss was still significant, but acceptable
to Coventry. The original modeling
predictions turned out to be quite
conservative, and only small reductions
in cooling capacity and actual in-
creases in energy efficiency resulted
from the conversions.
Winter Conversions
The first conversion took approx-
imately nine weeks to complete. Con-
versions of the two remaining chillers
took between four and six weeks. All of
the conversions were done in the
winter months when cooling demands
were at a minimum. If Coventry had
needed a faster turnaround, Trane
estimated that each job could have
been completed In three weeks with
mechanics working eight hours a day,
or in one week with mechanics working
overtime.
Conversion Priorities
The tasks performed during the
conversions can be divided into four
general areas:
• Procedures to ensure that the
new refrigerant is compatible with
equipment parts that come into
contact with it
• Procedures that enhance the
performance of the chillers after
conversion
Procedures that reduce future
refrigerant loss during service or
operation
Procedures that enhance the
safety of building occupants and
operations and maintenance staff
Ensuring Compatibility
Trane replaced several of the
components in the chillers because they
were made of materials that would
slowly deteriorate if in contact with the
new refrigerant, eventually causing a
system failure. Most of the items that
were replaced (e.g., O-rings, gaskets,
and seals) would have been replaced in
a few years anyway when the equip-
ment's scheduled overhaul was per-
formed. Because the overhaul was per-
formed during the conversion, Coventry
believes that the chillers at Texaco
Heritage Plaza will not need major
service for another 10 years. The motor
winding insulation, also made with a
material incompatible with HCFC-123,
could not be replaced on site. Instead,
the entire motor was sent back to Trane
headquarters in Wisconsin where all of
the windings were replaced with a new
set that had insulation compatible with
HCFC-123.
Performance Enhancement
To .minimize capacity loss to levels
acceptable to Coventry, Trane changed
two of the components in the chillers.
First, it replaced the orifice plates that
meter refrigerant to the evaporator with
plates that would provide the correct
outlet pressures for the new refrigerant,
Second, it modified the impellers in
each chiller to provide the proper
pressure increase for the new refrig-
erant Like the compressor motor, the
impellers were sent back to Trane
headquarters for modification. Both of
the tasks were completed in less than a
week, since Trane headquarters al-
ready had remanufacturing and testing
equipment in place.
Minimizing Leaks
To reduce future refrigerant loss, a
high-efficiency purge unit was installed
on each of the chillers. In addition, new
valves were installed around the oil
sumps so that mechanics could isolate
the sumps when changing the lubricant.
The new valves prevent refrigerant
releases during oil change procedures,
which are performed two or three times
annually. The efforts to prevent
refrigerant loss have proved to be
remarkably successful. The machines
have not required any additional refrig-
erant since the conversions, the first of
which occurred two years ago. Prior to
the conversions, each of the machines
was typically charged with an additional
100 pounds of replacement refrigerant
annually.
New Chiller
Components
Replaced
O-rings
Gaskets
Seals
MotorWindings
Orifice Plates
Impellers
Added
High-Efficiency
Purge Unit
Valves around
Oil Sumps
-------
Increasing Safety
Coventry also commissioned a
number of modifications to the equip-
ment room to increase worker safety
and comply with the American Society
of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-
conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
Standard 15-1992. Building owners in
Houston are required to follow the provi-
sions of the Standard. Since HCFC-123
is classified as a B1 refrigerant in
ASHRAE Standard 34-1992, it must be
installed in a mechanical room with
refrigerant vapor sensors, an adjoining
alarm system, ventilation piping leading
from the purge units to the outside air,
and ventilation exhaust fans.
Costs
The three conversions cpst a total
of approximately $250,000. In addition,
$50,000.was spent to purchase the new
HCFC-123 refrigerant for the three
machines. The equipment room modi-
fications and new peripherals (e.g., the
refrigerant monitor, alarm system, and
high-efficiency purge units) cost an
extra $100,000. These costs, however,
COSTS
Convert three chillers
Purchase new HCFC-123 refrigerant
Make equipment room modifications &
purchase new peripherals
V
$250,000
$50,000
$100,000
were offset by returnfng recovered
CFCs to a reclaimer for credit. These
costs also continue to be offset by
savings from higher chiller energy
efficiency and lower refrigerant emis-
sions. In addition, the tenants of
Texaco Heritage Plaza will not ex-
perience disruptions in comfort cooling
as a result of the impending lack of
available refrigerant. Finally, the
tenants are now protected by state-of-
the-art safety systems. The conver-
sions at Texaco Heritage Plaza were so
successful that Coventry is now plan-
ning to eliminate CFC use in comfort
cooling applications at its five other
commercial office buildings in the
Houston area.
With very limited exceptions, CFC
production and importation will cease in
the U.S. at the end of 1995. It is EPA's
goal to assist equipment owners in the
transition to non-CFC refrigerants. This
case history is part of a series on
equipment retrofits and replacements
by specific companies or agencies.
Every effort has been made to see that
these case histories accurately reflect
the actions taken by the companies
profiled. However, recommendations
about retrofit/replacement procedures
can vary. Companies are urged to
check with manufacturers and local
authorities in implementing programs to
make the transition away from CFC
refrigerants. Mention of any trade
names or commercial products does
not constitute endorsement or recom-
mendation for use. For more infor-
mation on the CFC phaseout, EPA
information on refrigerant management,
and acceptable alternative refrigerants,
write: CFC Outreach, Stratospheric
Protection Division, USEPA (6205J),
Washington, DC, 20460.
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-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
(6205J)
November 1993
v>EPA
Stratospheric Ozone Protection
Case History
Life Insurance Company
Cools Headquarters with
CFC-Free Refrigerants
f
Case Study
Type of Facility
Location
New York Life Insurance Co. g
Office Building 1
New York City J
New York Life Insurance Company,
one of the largest life insurance
companies in the U.S., has a refrigerant
problem. Its headquarters, spanning two
city blocks in midtown Manhattan, had
eight large chillers containing two
different refrigerants soon to be phased
out - CFC-11 and R-500. Centrifugal
Associates, the contractor responsible for
maintaining the chillers, is helping solve
this problem. The contractor converted
two of the chillers in the headquarters
building to HCFC-123, making New York
Life Insurance Company headquarters
the first large building in the city to be
converted to a non-CFC refrigerant. A
third chiller was converted to HFC-134a.
Centrifugal Associates, the largest
mechanical contractor in the New York
City area, is known throughout the chiller
service industry for its technical exper-
tise. DuPont recognized that expertise
and asked the company to join a group
known as the DuPont Mechanical
Services Network. This group was
formed by DuPont to share information
about CFC alternatives, gain experience
converting chillers to the new re-
frigerants, and accelerate the usage of
CFC-free refrigerants. Recognizing that
DuPont was offering access to the latest
information on the new refrigerants as
well as a good business opportunity,
Centrifugal Associates gladly accepted
the invitation. "What DuPont liked about
our company best," said El Tangel,
President of Centrifugal Associates, "was
that we were capable of working on very
large machines." Stephen Yager, CEO
of Centrifugal Associates, elaborated:
"Centrifugal Associates was founded on
large centrifugal chillers. We know this
type of machine inside and out. DuPont
realized that in order to convince chiller
owners to get out of CFCs,' it needed to
reach out to contractors for help."
In the spring of 1992, Centrifugal
Associates contacted Tom Carney,
Corporate Vice President of the Building
Operations Group at New York Life, and
proposed converting the chillers in the
headquarters building to more environ-
mentally acceptable refrigerants, specifi-
cally HFC-134a and HCFC-123. "I knew
Tom Carney understood the necessity of
converting his equipment away from
CFCs. He had been following the issue
for a number of years, and had been
anticipating the phaseout," Mr. Yager
remarked. "However, he had major
concerns about the performance of the
new refrigerants as well as the cost of
converting his chillers. He needed
additional technical information from
another source."
To encourage Mr. Carney, Mr. Yager
contacted Ed Kramer, the DuPont sales
representative who had recruited
Centrifugal Associates for the DuPont
Mechanical Services Network, and asked
him to present some of DuPont's findings
on chiller conversions and answer any
technical questions Mr. Carney might
have. After listening to the represen-
tative from DuPont and examining the
data, Mr. Carney decided to proceed with
the conversions. Tom Carney explained:
"We wanted to get started with our first
conversion to learn the details about the
new refrigerants. Our company has
direct responsibility over a number of
properties, and we needed to get insight
into the matter to intelligently act on the
problem in the rest of our properties."
New York Life's Chiller Conversions
Number
Size
Age
Refrigerant Conversion
V
3
3,000 tons each
25-40 years
CFC-11 -» HCFC-123
R-500 -> HFC-134a
-------
"IVe conducted my own research on
the CFC issue by attending seminars
and reading journals," Mr. Carney
explained, "and after looking at the facts
presented by Centrifugal Associates and
DuPont, I became confident that getting
out of CFCs made good business and
environmental sense. The law is not
going to be changed. Now is the right
time to convert to the alternatives.
Waiting any longer just means that more
and more money will be chasing after
less and less available refrigerant. I
dont want my business impaired be-
cause I cant cool my buildings."
A Smooth Conversion
The first conversion at New York
Life took place in July 1992. A 40-year-
old, 750-ton open-drive chiller was
converted from CFC-11 to HCFC-123.
Mr, Carney took advantage of the fact
that the chiller would be out of service
and instructed Centrifugal Associates to
perform an overhaul of the chiller.
Centrifugal Associates inspected all of
the moving parts in the chiller and
replaced its old gaskets, O-rings and
seals with new parts that were
compatible with the new refrigerant. This
overhaul saved New York Life money
because HCFC-123 is a potent solvent
that eventually would have ruined some
of the old parts if they had not been
replaced during the overhaul, causing
the chiller to leak the new refrigerant.
Mr. Carney was surprised by how
easy it was to convert the chiller. He
was also pleased with the performance
of the new refrigerant. "I thought that a
chiller conversion would be complex, but
it actually turned out to be no more
difficult than the many chiller overhauls I
have observed," recalled Mr. Carney. "I
expected significant losses in capacity,
but we havent seen any losses at all."
Second Conversion
In November 1992, Centrifugal
Associates began a second chiller
conversion at New York Life. This time
an appreciably larger chiller was
converted from R-500 to HFC-134a. All
of the components in the chiller were
compatible with HFC-134a except for the
mineral oil, which was flushed thoroughly
from the chiller and replaced with polyol
ester lubricant. The chiller, a 25-year-
old, 1,250-ton open-drive centrifugal unit,
has been in full operation this year,
including during one of the hottest
summers on record, and has maintained
essentially the same capacity as before
the conversion. Once again, New York
Life was pleased with the ease with
which the conversion was made. "This
total conversion procedure took only a
matter of weeks. What's more, the cost
of the conversion and new refrigerant
was less than 15 percent of the cost of a
new machine installation."
Additional Conversions
Based on the ease of the previous
conversions and the resulting high levels
of performance, New York Life decided
to convert two more large chillers in its
headquarters. The third conversion has
already been completed. Centrifugal
Associates converted a 30-year-old,
1,000-ton open-drive centrifugal chiller
from CFC-11 to HCFC-123, following the
same procedure as for the first chiller.
Again, no appreciable change in capacity
or energy use was noted. The fourth
chiller to be converted is the same size
and model as the second chiller
converted at the site, and will be CFC-
free before the end of Spring 1994.
"We were surprised at how well our
first conversions went," Mr. Tangel
recalled. "The conversion process was
not as difficult a job as we were led to
believe. For one thing, it didn't take as
long as we had heard. We put two
mechanics on the job, and it only took
them two to four weeks for each of the
conversions. It did help that all of the
machines were open-drive chillers, so
we didn't have to change any of the
motor windings when we converted to
HCFC-123."
Inexpensive Conversions
Centrifugal Associates is now
becoming increasingly proficient at con-
verting large chillers to the alternative
refrigerants. In fact, its labor time has
decreased to the point where a
conversion for an open-drive R-500
centrifugal chiller costs only about 10
percent of the cost of a new chiller.
"Hermetic chillers take a little more time,
and the job ends up costing about twenty
percent of the cost of a new chiller. If the
customer wants the motor, gears, and
impeller replaced, the costs run about 30
percent of a new chiller," Mr. Tangel
said. "But all things considered, it seems
that conversions are the way to go in
most cases. Some of the costs can
always be recouped by returning the
recovered CFCs to a reclaimer for
credit."
Centrifugal Associates'
Checklist for Converting
Open-Drive Chillers from
CFC-11 to HCFC-123
0 Recover CFC in system and
send back for reclamation.
0 Overhaul chiller, inspecting
all moving parts for wear.
0 Replace seals, gaskets and
O-rings.
0 Thoroughly flush old mineral
oil from system and replace
with new mineral oil.
0 Thoroughly check for leaks.
0 Charge with HCFC-123.
0 Clearly indicate on unit the
type of refrigerant it now
contains.
0 Take all steps necessary to
ensure compliance with
ASHRAE Standard 15-1992.
With very limited exceptions, CFC
production and importation will cease in
the U.S. at the end of 1995. It is EPA's
goal to assist equipment owners in the
transition to non-CFC refrigerants. This
case history is part of a series on
equipment retrofits and replacements
by specific companies or agencies.
Every effort has been made to see that
these case histories accurately reflect
the actions taken by the companies
profiled. However, recommendations
about retrofit/replacement procedures
can vary. Companies are urged to
check with manufacturers and local
authorities in implementing programs to
make the transition away from CFC
refrigerants. Mention of any trade
names or commercial products does
not constitute endorsement or recom-
mendation for use. For more infor-
mation on the CFC phaseout, EPA
information on refrigerant management,
and acceptable alternative refrigerants,
write: CFC Outreach, Stratospheric
Protection Division, USEPA (6205J),
Washington, DC, 20460.
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
(6205J)
November 1993
oEPA
Stratospheric Ozone Protection
Case History
Electronics Manufacturer
Successfully Converts
Chiller to HFC-134a
f
Case Study
Type of Facility
Location
Westinghouse ESG
Manufacturing Plant
Baltimore, Maryland
One of the first-ever field conver-
sions of a chiller from CFC-12 to HFC-
134a was performed at a Westinghouse
Electric Corporation facility in Baltimore,
Maryland. The chiller, a 493-ton centri-
fugal unit located at the headquarters of
the Westinghouse Electronic Systems
Group (ESG), has been running smooth-
ly now for three years. Westinghouse
ESG has gained useful first-hand know-
ledge from this experience and has
begun planning a facility-wide CFC elimi-
nation campaign.
The process leading up to the first
chiller conversion actually began one
year prior to the actual procedure when
corporate executives at Westinghouse
ESG, acting on information regarding the
CFC situation, decided to appoint a CFC
elimination team. The team members
appointed were George Duncan (Senior
Facilities Design Engineer), Robert
Stryjewski (Manager of Facilities
Engineering), and Steve McKew
(Manager of Hazardous Materials). The
team was headed by Kay Rand,
Manager of Regulatory Compliance, who
also bore responsibility for the success of
the phaseout program.
The team knew that unlimited
resources were not available to eliminate
CFC use from the many pieces of
equipment located in the three main
buildings at Westinghouse ESG
Headquarters. Rather than develop a
strategy to phase out CFCs on a set
timetable, the team decided to evaluate
each piece of equipment individually and
decide what action to take based on the
overall economics of each available
option. The primary concerns of the
company were its chillers, since these
large pieces of equipment contain the
most refrigerant.
Westinghouse ESG's Converted Chiller
Type
Original Capacity
New Capacity
Old Refrigerant
New Refrigerant
V^ Age
Centrifugal
493 tons
498 tons
CFC-12
HFC-134a
16 years
-J
Westinghouse ESG's decision to
replace or retrofit each chiller will involve
a number of logistical, engineering and
financial factors.
• Location — Conversions are the
favored option for chillers located in
inaccessible areas since they pre-
sent difficult replacement logistics.
In addition, a replacement strategy
would likely severely disrupt normal
operations.
• Cooling Capacity — In some
instances, the company may not be
able to tolerate the loss of cooling
capacity from the chiller being
considered for conversion.
• Cash Flow — Both first costs and
operating costs (e.g., energy costs
of new and converted equipment,
and future prices of service
refrigerant) must be considered.
• Refrigerant Availability - The
refrigerant that the chiller uses must
be quickly available if needed.
-------
The team decided that the most
cost-effective action to take would be to
implement a refrigerant conservation
program Immediately. Westinghouse
ESG purchased portable recovery
machines for each of the buildings and
developed a proactive program for
detecting refrigerant leaks and fixing
them Immediately. Leak checks be-
came part of the regular preventive
maintenance program for the company.
Refrigerant Management Tools
Westinghouse ESG also began to
install and utilize computerized moni-
toring panels on many of its chillers so
that their performance could be
monitored from a remote location. On
a weekly basis, the maintenance per-
sonnel for the company take a readout
of the temperatures and pressures to
determine trends in the performance
and efficiency of the chillers. The
monitoring panels also act indirectly as
refrigerant leak monitors, since refrig-
erant loss in chillers is eventually
reflected by negative trends in perfor-
mance and energy efficiency.
Even though Westinghouse ESG
Headquarters has many large pieces of
CFC equipment, the company be-
lieves it can substantially reduce CFC
purchases before the end of 1995.
"WeVe saved a lot of time in the
economic analysis of the various
pieces of equipment because we have
extensive documentation of all of our
refrigeration and air-conditioning equip-
ment. We are confident that we
already have most of the data we need,
so all we need to do is finish crunching
the numbers," said Mr. Duncan.
Westinghouse ESG has an
advanced equipment inventory system
based on a nine-digit number that
identifies each piece of CFC equipment
by type and location. This number
reflects the location of each piece of
equipment, including the exact building,
section, and floor. This type of
information has been invaluable in
keeping track of the refrigerant used by
each piece of equipment. This
excellent inventory tracking system has
put the team in a good position to
develop extensive.CFC-phaseout plans
Factors Involved in Making
CFC Elimination Decisions
Equipment Location
Cooling Capacity Changes
First Costs
Operating Costs
Refrigerant Price
Refrigerant Availability
with confidence that cost estimates will
be accurate. The system also tracks
the many pieces of small equipment in
the buildings, including water coolers,
refrigerators in the cafeteria, and
cooling units for very-low-temperature
environmental testing chambers.
"These types of equipment will be
subjected to the same economic scru-
tiny as the chillers in determining their
eventual disposition," said Ms. Rand.
Besides the CFC-12 chillers
previously mentioned, the company
also owns chillers that use CFC-11 and
R-500. "We will be retiring the CFC-11
chillers in a few years rather than
converting them, since they are 35
years old and can be replaced with
much higher efficiency equipment," said
Mr. Stryjewski. "The R-500 equipment
will be either converted or retired."
Chiller Retrofit
In 1990, McQuayService, the ser-
vice arm of SnyderGeneral Corporation,
approached Westinghouse ESG and
offered financial and engineering assis-
tance to convert one of the CFC-12
McQuay brand chillers at Westinghouse
ESGtoHFC-134a. Westinghouse ESG
Headquarters was selected by McQuay
-Service because Westinghouse is a
leader in testing new technologies, and
also because Westinghouse ESG had a
backup chiller in place, so even though
reliability of the pilot project was
desirable, it was not crucial.
Mr. Duncan proposed to McQuay-
Service that a chiller originally manu-
factured by Westinghouse be con-
verted. The chiller was an ideal piece
of equipment to convert since it had
many more years of useful life left in it,
and was still fairly energy efficient
(Westinghouse sold its Commercial-
Industrial Air Conditioning Services
division to McQuay, Inc. in 1982, which
then was acquired by SnyderGeneral in
1984.) "McQuayService agreed with
our choice, and even offered a full-year
warranty on the entire machine after the
conversion," exclaimed Mr. Duncan.
The company only had two
requirements of McQuayService. First,
the original cooling conversion capacity
of the chiller was to be maintained.
Second, business could not be
interrupted. Consequently, McQuay-
Service engineered the conversion so
that the cooling capacity would either
remain the same or increase slightly,
McQuayService also advised schedul-
ing the conversion for the fall or winter
because during these seasons the air
conditioning systems operated primarily
on "free cooling." In this method of air
conditioning, outdoor air is used to cool
the conditioned air inside the building or
to chill the water circulated to the air
handler. Thus, some of the comfort
New Chiller
Components
Replaced
Gaskets
Impeller
Bearings
Lubricant
Added
Expansion Valve
(Replaced High-
Side Float)
-------
cooling chillers were idle and could be
called upon to provide extra cooling
capacity, if necessary.
The two companies began con-
verting the chiller in September 1990.
During the conversion, 1,500 pounds of
CFC-12 were recovered. The gearset
and impeller were replaced so that the
chiller would operate with no loss in
cooling capacity after the conversion.
The chiller was then subjected to a
complete compressor inspection, where
it was revealed that some bearings
were worn and required replacement.
The conversion also included a com-
plete condenser and evaporator vessel
cleaning and eddy-current testing of the
condenser and evaporator tubes. The
tests revealed that the walls of two of
the tubes were thin, so they were
subsequently plugged to prevent leaks
in the future. In addition, a panel
connected to a dedicated telephone line
was installed to allow Westinghouse
ESG to monitor operation of the
converted chiller from a remote
location.
After these overhaul procedures
were completed, the lubricant was
flushed out and replaced with new
ester-based lubricant because the
original lubricant was incompatible with
HFC-134a. The chiller was checked for
leaks and then charged with the new
refrigerant. Finally, the chiller was
started up and its operation was closely
monitored. The chiller has been
running since October 2, 1990 without
any significant problems.
The conversion took two mechan-
ics approximately 30 days to complete.
This time included all of the overhaul
procedures as well as the conversion
itself. Mr. Duncan estimates that
without the overhaul, a conversion of
this type can be completed in about one
week. He remarked, "For a first effort,
we got excellent results. The conver-
sion of the chiller proceeded surprising-
ly well. Its cooling capacity increased
by about one percent and its energy
efficiency increased by five percent. I
believe that this conversion demon-
strates that with engineered hardware
changes, HFC-134a can perform as
well as or better than CFC-12 in the
same chiller."
Money-Saving Opportunities
Mr. Duncan also remarked that the
CFC phaseout has had a big impact on
the economics of the HVAC operations
of the company.
• Because of increasing refrigerant
costs, the first piece of equipment
to be repaired is now the one with
the biggest leaks and not the
"equipment in the poorest me-
chanical condition, unless the
equipment no longer functions.
However, these two criteria
frequently fit the same piece of
equipment.
• Because large machines consume
more refrigerant than smaller ones
do, large machines are often
considered as candidates for
conversion/replacement before
small ones.
• Because large machines contain
large charges, converting or re-
tiring large machines will signif-
icantly increase the stock of service
CFC refrigerant without any
additional expense.
Energy savings are of prime
concern to Westinghouse ESG. The
company plans to achieve energy
savings in two ways. First, during any
future chiller conversions, the high-side
float will be replaced with an expansion
valve to better control the superheat of
the chiller to match its cooling load.
Second, the company plans to replace
existing reciprocating chillers with
energy-saving dual-compressor centri-
fugal chillers. "These types of chillers
may cost more up front, but they will be
able to match our cooling loads much
more effectively than the old chillers
and with a lower power consumption.
We'll make up the cost difference pretty
quickly," said Mr. Duncan.
New Equipment
At the time of the conversion,
several Westinghouse ESG facilities
were scheduled for a change in
utilization. For example, one of the
manufacturing areas was to be
converted into a clean room. The
company took advantage of the
opportunity to install a new HFC-134a
chiller at the same time the space was
reconfigured. Mr. Duncan remarked,
"This was another joint project with
SnyderGeneral. This was one of the
first HFC-134a chillers to roll off the
assembly line at SnyderGeneral. We
would have had to replace the existing
chiller serving this area anyway be-
cause of the different cooling require-
ments of clean rooms. SnyderGeneral
gave us a choice to use a non-CFC
refrigerant."
Westinghouse ESG is now plan-
ning to replace eight 100-ton CFC-12
reciprocating chillers because of their
condition and age. (These chillers are
forty years old.) The chillers are sched-
uled to be replaced in the spring of
1994 with two new double-effect gas-
fired absorption chillers. One factor in
'this decision is the sizeable rebate
being offered by the local gas company
for new installations of gas-fired air
conditioning equipment. Another factor
is that Westinghouse ESG plans to use
the gas-fired chillers in the summer
months when natural gas is less
expensive and during peak electrical
demand periods, thereby allowing the
company to take some of its electric
chillers off-line. By reducing its peak
electrical demand, the company will
save on energy costs.
Westinghouse ESG considers both
the chiller conversion and new installa-
tion successes, and is now planning to
eliminate CFCs in all of its chillers in the
near future.
With very limited exceptions, CFC
production and importation will cease in
the U.S. at the end of 1995. It is EPA's-
goal to assist equipment owners in the
transition to non-CFC refrigerants. This
case history is part of a series on
equipment retrofits and replacements
by specific companies or agencies.
Every effort has been made to see that
these case histories accurately reflect
the actions taken by the companies
profiled. However, recommendations
about retrofit/replacement procedures
can vary. Companies are urged to
check with manufacturers and local
authorities in implementing programs to
make the transition away from CFC
refrigerants. Mention of any trade
names or commercial products does
not constitute endorsement or recom-
mendation for use. For more infor-
mation on the CFC phaseout, EPA
information on refrigerant management,
and acceptable alternative refrigerants,
write: CFC Outreach, Stratospheric
Protection Division, USEPA (6205J),
Washington, DC, 20460.
-------
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
(6205J)
November 1993
vvEPA
Stratospheric Ozone Protection
Case History
Tennessee Chemical
Manufacturer to End
CFC Purchases By 1995
(
Case Study
Type of Facility
Location
V
Eastman Chemical Co. |
Manufacturing Plant |
Kingsport, Tennessee \
EASTIVIAIU
The Tennessee Eastman Division
of Eastman Chemical Company has
illustrated the importance of a well-
planned strategy for equipment repair,
conversions, and replacements as part
of a CFC phaseout program. York
International has recognized the plan as
a model for the industry by presenting
the division with its Refrigerant
Leadership Award. This recognition
comes as a result of successfully
handling the complexities involved in
coordinating 400 buildings, more than
50 chillers, and a wide variety of
different CFCs in use.
To manufacture the materials
necessary to produce its chemical,
fiber, and plastics products, the compa-
ny uses CFC-12, CFC-114, HCFC-22,
and R-500 in its process chillers. For its
comfort cooling chillers, the company
uses CFC-11 and CFC-12. In addition,
Eastman owns a number of other types
of smaller equipment, mostly containing
CFC-12. The age of the equipment
varies from brand new for some of the
appliances to over 50 years for some of
the chillers. Eastman's problems are
compounded by the fact that its chillers
were made by almost every manu-
facturer in America.
Eastman took its first step toward a
CFC-free workplace in 1990 when
Michael Logan, operations manager in
the refrigeration department, attended a
CFC phaseout seminar at Purdue
University. Upon his return, he formed
a problem-solving team composed of
his operations and maintenance staff.
The team produced a two-phase plan:
first, conserve CFCs by improving
service and maintenance practices; and
second, eliminate use of CFCs by
buying non-CFC equipment and
converting existing equipment to
alternative refrigerants.
Eastman's plan focuses on its 42
CFC chillers because these units
account for the majority of its refrigerant
loss and are integral to the production
processes of the company. The
company did not prepare a detailed
plan for its smaller equipment because
it concluded early on that converting
the smaller equipment would be
uneconomical. This equipment, there-
fore, would be maintained with CFCs
recovered from the larger units until
retirement.
Tennessee Eastman Division's Chiller Stock
Quantity
Size Range
Age Range
Refrigerants Used
42
500-1500 tons
1-50+years
CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-
114, HCFC-22, R-500
-------
At the very first meeting of the
problem-solving team, several major
types of refrigerant loss were identified:
tube leaks, seal leaks, purge losses,
losses during refrigerant recovery or
transfer procedures, and losses during
refrigerant handling and storage. For
each of these categories, the team then
developed procedures and practices that
would reduce refrigerant losses. No
additional labor time or personnel were
required to implement the conservation
plan since most of Eastman's mechanics
had already been trained in these
procedures. Mr. Logan's major chal-
lenge was to persuade employees who
had always viewed CFCs as cheap and
expendable to Improve their refrigerant
conservation practices.
Setting the Stage
To set the tone of the new program
and define his expectations, Mr. Logan
gave a lecture to the employees that
maintain and operate the chillers on the
topics of (1) the CFC issue and (2) his
plan to eliminate CFC use in the
company. The company implemented
the improved conservation procedures
soon thereafter and intends to continue
the procedures even after CFC re-
frigerants have been eliminated at the
facility.
Improved Procedures
From the start, Eastman was ahead
of many other companies in conservation
measures because it had always
recovered its refrigerant during servicing
operations. (Companies can typically
reduce refrigerant loss by 40 percent by
instituting a basic refrigerant recovery
program.) Eastman has reduced refrig-
erant loss even further by identifying and
correcting improper recovery techniques.
For example, in the past, mechanics had
occasionally handled transfer hoses that
connect the refrigeration equipment to
recovery devices in a careless manner,
thereby increasing the probability of
contaminatibn. Refrigerant transfer pro-
cedures have since been improved.
Eastman has also upgraded its recovery
and recycling equipment and now has a
dedicated unit for each refrigerant, avoid-
ing problems associated with mixing
refrigerants of different types.
Eliminating Leaky Tubes
The second major area of refrigerant
loss was leakage from evaporator and
Eastman's
Two-Phase Plan
1. Conserve CFCs
2. Eliminate CFCs
condenser tubes. Maintenance staff per-
formed eddy current testing to determine
the thickness of the tubes in order to
assess the likelihood of future leaks.
When testing revealed that tube walls
were too thin and, therefore, likely to leak
in the future, the mechanics plugged or
replaced them.
Refrigerant Conservation
Priorities
Refrigerant Recovery Program
Improved Transfer
Procedures
Dedicated Recovery Units
Tube Eddy Current Testing
Tube Repair and Replacement
Immediate Leak Repair
Chiller Pressurization During
Offseason
High-Efficiency Purge Devices
(For New and Converted
Chillers)
Refrigerant Tracking System
Better Connections
The company also placed a greater
emphasis on checking seals, flanges
and connections for leaks. Before the
conservation plan began, mechanics
would search for leaks on a monthly
basis using halide torches and solid
state testers. Whenever they located a
leak, they would tag it and write a work
order for its repair, returning sometime in
the future to fix it. Now they search for
leaks weekly and fix them before the
chillers have a chance to leak further.
Work orders are issued only if it is
determined that a job is too complex to
handle in a short time.
Reducing Purge Losses
Eastman has also taken steps to
reduce emissions from the purges on its
low-pressure chillers. Eastman leaves
its comfort cooling chillers idle in the
winter because cold water taken from a
nearby river provides for most of the
comfort cooling needs of the facility.
However, considerable amounts of air
and moisture can leak into low-pressure
chillers when left idle. To prevent this,
Eastman uses dry nitrogen to increase
the pressure inside the equipment above
ambient levels. This prevents moisture-
laden air from leaking in, avoiding
excessive purging when the system
starts up. Eastman has also reduced
purge losses by ensuring that the purge
devices themselves are operating
properly. Finally, the company has
installed high-efficiency purge units on
several of its low-pressure chillers and
plans to make them standard with every
conversion.
Keeping Track
To monitor its success and to help
plan for the future, Eastman maintains a
refrigerant tracking system. It periodically
records the existing quantity of refrig-
erant on site (in both equipment and in
storage) and the quantity of new
refrigerant purchased, thereby allowing it
to determine the extent of the company's
refrigerant emissions. Calculations show
that Eastman has reduced its refrigerant
loss by 55 percent relative to 1989
levels — an excellent performance,
especially given that the company was
already recovering refrigerant prior to
improving its conservation program.
Nevertheless, Mr. Logan believes that
Eastman can reduce refrigerant loss by
an additional 10 percent in the next
couple of years as the program matures.
Progress Can Be Inexpensive
Importantly, Eastman is well on its
way to accomplishing all its refrigerant
conservation objectives without addition-
al staff, much additional training, or help
from outside firms. This program is
evidence that companies can implement
successful refrigerant conservation with-
out significant expense.
-------
Eastman has just begun both to
purchase new CFC-free equipment and
to convert existing equipment to alter-
native refrigerants in order to totally
eliminate CFCs from its stock of
chillers. This approach required ap-
proval from the corporate executives
because of the size of the investment.
Accordingly, Mr. Logan and his team
provided a briefing on the CFC
phaseout to the president of the
company and other corporate execu-
tives. They also presented a plan
based on two key objectives: (1)
maintaining existing cooling capacity
and (2) limiting future disruptions.
Applications where CFCs
are to be Eliminated
• Comfort Cooling
• Laboratory Refrigeration
• Industrial Processes
A Silver Lining
About 75 percent of Eastman's
chillers are scheduled for conversion.
The company is making the most of the
situation by turning each conversion into
an opportunity to standardize its
refrigeration equipment. It is choosing
conversion options that will place
identical parts in many of the systems
even though these systems may
currently have very different character-
istics. The company believes standard-
ization will significantly reduce its service
and maintenance costs in the years
ahead. Standardization will also simplify
service tasks for the mechanics, thereby
giving them more time to concentrate on
refrigerant conservation methods.
Converting to HCFC-123
For its soon-to-be-converted CFC-
11 chillers, Eastman plans to replace
each compressor driveline (compressor
and motor) with new compressor
drivelines intended for use with HCFC-
123. This conversion option essentially
involves replacing everything but the
heat exchangers. Each conversion is
expected to cost approximately 50
percent of the cost of new equipment.
Some of this cost can be recouped by
returning recovered CFCs to a reclaimer
for credit. After being converted, the
equipment is expected to last for another
20 to 30 years. Replacing the entire
compressor driveline rather than just
some its parts is consistent with
Eastman's goal of standardization.
Converting to HFC-134a
Eastman plans to convert its high
pressure equipment (both the CFC-12
and R-500 units) to HFC-134a. Because
it has more complete information on the
components of these chillers, it intends
to have all of Jtiese conversions fully
engineered (including modeling the
operation of the equipment and
modifying the equipment in such a way
as to minimize capacity and energy
efficiency losses).
Leakiest First
Rather than convert all of its
equipment at once, the company plans
to perform its conversions in stages.
Chillers that are losing the most refrig-
erant (and that are consequently due for
complete overhauls) will be converted
first. This will reduce emissions, save
money, and create a supply of CFC re-
frigerant for the remaining equipment.
Maintaining Capacity
Mr. Logan projects that converting
equipment to the alternative refrigerants
will unfortunately reduce cooling capac-
ity. To solve this problem, Eastman will
first increase its cooling capacity by
purchasing new HCFC-22 screw chillers.
The company's operating standard is to
be able to handle peak cooling loads
with its largest chiller out of operation.
The company has a thorough knowledge
of its current situation because it tests
the maximum capacity of its chillers
every year and electronically monitors
required cooling capacity. The company
will measure the new maximum post-
conversion capacity of each chiller to
determine if even more units need to be
installed.
New CFC-Free Chillers
Eastman also plans to purchase
HCFC-22 screw chillers to replace older
equipment. In general, equipment will
only be replaced if either it cannot be
converted to non-CFC alternatives or if
its energy efficiency has deteriorated to
the point where the expense of con-
verting the equipment is not economi-
cally worthwhile. For example, Eastman
has eight CFC-114 chillers for which it
could not find conversion kits. The
company plans to retire these units over
the next two years.
Eastman's CFC
Elimination Checklist
Ef Assess Plant Capacity
0 Estimate Minimum Required
Capacity
El Project Future Requirements
for Capacity Expansion
Ef Estimate Costs of
Conversions and
Replacements
Ef Estimate Capacity after
Conversions
0 Conduct Engineering Analysis
to Determine Most
Appropriate Action
Ef Add Capacity as Required
Before Beginning
Conversions
El Replace Equipment for Which
There Are No Conversion
Options
Ef Combine Projects to Minimize
Costs (i.e., Equipment
Overhaul, Standardization, or
Upgrade)
Ef Fully Engineer All
Conversions to Minimize
Energy Costs and Maintain
Cooling Capacity
El Convert Leakiest Chillers First
Ef Use Recovered Refrigerant for
Future Servicing
-------
A primary reason why Eastman
chose HCFC-22 screw chillers over other
options is because these types of chillers
can be converted to a variety of
refrigerants. The company insists on
having an option that would allow it to
discontinue use of HCFCs or HFCs for
ozone depletion and global warming
reasons. Given that the company would
like to operate its new equipment for up
to 50 years, it wants to ensure that its
new equipment could potentially use a
refrigerant that is likely to be available for
several decades.
When Eastman made its decision to
purchase these chillers, it believed that it
would most likely convert them to
ammonia when HCFC-22 was no longer
available. Due to recent advances in
refrigerant blends, the company now
believes other attractive conversion
options will also be available in the near
future,
The Big Picture
Eastman installed four screw
chillers in 1993 to ensure that it can
maintain its refrigeration capacity
throughout and after its CFC phaseout.
In 1994, it plans to buy another two
screw chillers and convert two existing
machines. In 1995 and each year
thereafter, it plans to convert
approximately five to eight chillers per
year. Under this schedule, the company
will convert approximately one-third of its
chillers by the December 31, 1995 CFC
phaseout date and it will no longer use
CFCs in any of its chillers after 1999.
Moreover, because the company can use
the refrigerant recovered from chillers to
service other refrigeration equipment, it
will no longer need to purchase CFC
refrigerant for any of its refrigeration or
air conditioning systems after 1994.
With very limited exceptions, CFC
production and importation will cease in
the U.S. at the end of 1995. It is EPA's
goal to assist equipment owners in the
transition to non-CFC refrigerants. This
case history is part of a series on
equipment retrofits and replacements
by specific companies or agencies.
Every effort has been made to see that
these case histories accurately reflect
the actions taken by the companies
profiled. However, recommendations
about retrofit/replacement procedures
can vary. Companies are urged to
check with manufacturers and local
authorities in implementing programs to
make the transition away from CFC
refrigerants. Mention of any trade
names or commercial products does
not constitute endorsement or recom-
mendation for use. For more infor-
mation on the CFC phaseout, EPA
information on refrigerant management,
and acceptable alternative refrigerants,
write: CFC Outreach, Stratospheric
Protection Division, USEPA (6205J),
Washington, DC, 20460.
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
(6205J)
November 1993
vvEPA
Stratospheric Ozone Protection
Case History
Manufacturer of
Alternative Refrigerants
Converts Own Facilities
f
Case Study
Type of Facility
Location
DuPont |
Manufacturing Plant |
Camden, South Carolina \
DuPont is one of the world's largest
manufacturers of alternative refrigerants
that can be used to replace CFCs.
When it launched its alternative
refrigerant business, DuPont knew that
it would have to convince its customers
that the alternatives could meet both
performance and operating specifi-
cations. Doing so required hands-on
experience with the process of con-
verting equipment from CFCs. DuPont
decided that the best place to start was
in its own facilities.
DuPont has over 550 chillers in its
plants around the world operating in a
wide variety of industrial process and
HVAC applications. This provided a
large variety of machine types and
models in which to evaluate the new
refrigerants. To focus its efforts,
DuPont management formed a
Corporate Retrofit Leadership Team
(CRLT) charged with demonstrating
conversion feasibility and developing a
strategy for converting the CFC chillers
in the corporation.
The DuPont team includes a cross-
functional mix of DuPont employees
from Engineering, Fluorochemicals,
Purchasing, Safety and Health, and
Marketing. Ben Smith, a Facilities
Maintenance Consultant for DuPont,
coordinates and leads the activities of
the team. Bob Bates, an Energy and
Refrigeration Consultant for DuPont,
provides technical guidance for the
refrigerant conversion effort and is also
a member of the team.
The first item on the team's agenda
was to establish a list of candidate
chillers within DuPont to serve as
conversion demonstrations. A variety of
manufacturer's equipment types and
models were targeted to gain as broad
an understanding of the conversion
process as possible in the least amount
of time.
The next step was to reach
agreement with the operating groups
dependent on the chillers to allow the
team to proceed with the conversions.
This was no small task, as the risks
associated with converting production
equipment concerned the operating
groups, which could not afford
significant downtime.
Finally, to successfully apply the
lessons learned from the conversions to
the remainder of the equipment in the
company required a partnership ar-
rangement with the original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs). Since over half
of the chillers in the company were
manufactured by Carrier Corporation,
the company proposed to Carrier that
they form a partnership to develop a
methodology for chiller conversions.
The success of the partnership
required both a commitment of re-
sources and a streamlining of com-
munications between the engineering
groups of the companies. Under this
arrangement, the companies could
more easily identify and resolve any
technology issues arising from the
conversion and more widely transfer the
lessons learned from the conversions to
the remainder of the chillers in the
company.
Converted Chillers at the Camden Plant
Number
Size
Original Refrigerant
New Refrigerant
-------
One of the maintenance con-
tractors for Wawa remarked, "The new
polyol ester lubricants are expensive,
but you really get what you pay for.
Equipment charged with these
lubricants runs substantially more
quietly and has no oil return problems to
speak of. In fact, when we changed the
oil in one of the CFC-12 systems during
an HFC-134a conversion to polyol
ester, we were able to remove 10
ounces more lubricant in the second oil
change than in the first oil change. This
indicated to me that the new lubricant
returned to the compressor better than
the original mineral oil, and actually
flushed out old oil that was trapped
somewhere in the system."
Tha contractor went on to say that
during a pilot conversion of one of the
freezer systems from R-502 to HP-62,
the decrease in the electrical current
that the compressor drew was sub-
stantial, on the order of 20 percent.
This reduction in operating current also
applied in the CFC-12 to HFC-134a
conversions: "Essentially, across the
board we noticed a decrease in
electrical current of one-half to a full
ampere for the equipment after the
conversions were completed."
Reduped Conversion Costs
The maintenance contractors for
Wawa have gained enough experience
converting CFC-12 systems to HFC-
134a that the conversion costs have
dropped substantially. To convert an
average store containing five CFC-12
systems, Wawa spends about $2,000,
of which approximately 60 percent is for
chemicals, .lubricant, and parts, while
the rest is for labor. However, some of
these costs can be recovered from
credits given by a reclaimer for
recovered CFC refrigerant.
Egging them On
Wawa's stores contain a number of
different refrigerators and freezers,
including a flower case, a frozen
carbonated beverage machine, and an
ice freezer, which are all owned and
operated by equipment manufacturers.
Although the chain is not directly
responsible for eliminating CFCs from
these pieces of equipment, the exec-
utives in the chain have begun to put
pressure on the manufacturers to
develop a plan to phase out CFCs.
Wawa knows that store operations will
suffer should this equipment become
unusable due to a lack of refrigerant.
Use of Maintenance Contractors
Wawa has changed the way it
maintains its stores. Mr. Wood
elaborated: "Four years ago we used to
have 11 districts, each operating its own
in-house maintenance department
This configuration proved to be very
wasteful and inefficient. Now we
operate under only five districts, and
leave the maintenance to local
maintenance contractors. We want to
focus on selling food, and that's why
/" Wawa's Typical ^v
Conversion Costs
CFC-12^ HFC-134a
Labor
Refrigerant
Lubricant
Parts
I Total
$800
$700
$400
$100
$2,000
we are getting out of CFCs just as soon
as we can. With today's competition, we
can't afford to have one of our stores
down, even for a little while."
Gathering Information
For five years, Mr. Wood and the
five regional managers have collected
. information about alternative refrig-
erants and equipment and have shared
this information with their maintenance
contractors. They have encouraged the
various maintenance contractors that
service the five regions to do the same,
and this information-sharing program
has worked well. After attending the
Food Marketing Institute's 1992 Energy
Conference in Boston for a "reality
check," they agreed that enough testing
had been conducted in the food industry
to give them confidence in their phase-
out program.
Accelerating the Phaseout
Mr. Wood and the regional
managers decided to accelerate their
CFC phaseout program and have
instructed their maintenance contractors
to begin conducting equipment and
refrigerant inventories and estimating
conversion costs. The five managers
want to be prepared with a realistic
budget when they meet with corporate
executives at the end of 1993. The
managers have decided to request
funding for a two-year CFC phaseout
program, with half of the money to be
disbursed in 1994 and half in 1995.
"Since we also plan to remodel 70 of
our stores in the next two years, we
thought that it would be a good idea to
combine the remodeling and CFC
elimination projects to save money,"
said Mr. Wood.
Attitude Adjustments
Mr. Wood said that he is constantly
surprised at what he perceives to be
lackadaisical attitudes on the part of
other convenience store corporate
managers at the national convenience
store association conferences. His .
advice to convenience store owners:
"Educate yourself about the issue
before it's too late, and begin to act
soon."
With very limited exceptions, CFC
production and importation will cease in
the U.S. at the end of 1995. It is EPA's
goal to assist equipment owners in the
transition to non-CFC refrigerants. This
case history is part of a series on
equipment retrofits and replacements
by specific companies or agencies.
Every effort has been made to see that
these case histories accurately reflect
the actions taken by the companies
profiled. However, recommendations
about retrofit/replacement procedures
can vary. Companies are urged to
check with manufacturers and local
authorities in implementing programs to
make the transition away from CFC
refrigerants. Mention of any trade
names or commercial products does
not constitute endorsement or recom-
mendation for use. For more infor-
mation on the CFC phaseout, EPA
information on refrigerant management,
and acceptable alternative refrigerants,
write: CFC Outreach, Stratospheric
Protection Division, USEPA (6205J),
Washington, DC, 20460.
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