First-Ever North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council Training Summit Prepares Refrigeration Technicians for Natural Refrigerant Technologies

The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit working to advance climate-friendly natural refrigerants in supermarkets, hosted the first-ever Natural Refrigerant Training Summit April 4 ? 6, 2023 at Southern California Edison's (SCE) Energy Education Center in Irwindale, Calif.

The event convened over 350 participants?including trainers from 12 organizations and 250 technicians from over 50 service contractor companies?to prepare refrigeration technicians for the latest CO2 and propane technologies. A rotating schedule of 17 sessions gave technicians access to multiple trainings in one place. Session slides and recordings are now available for free viewing at nasrc.org/training.

"The event's success was beyond anything we could have imagined," said Danielle Wright, executive director of NASRC. "The enthusiasm and engagement were unmatched, and there is a clear demand for similar events around the country."

The summit included a networking session with nearly 100 students and faculty from local HVACR schools to increase their exposure to commercial refrigeration and natural refrigerants, something NASRC says is a critical solution to the technician shortage.

"While these students are primed to enter an HVACR career, their exposure to the 'R' is often limited," said Wright. "The student networking session sought to increase that exposure, build industry connections, and ultimately grow the refrigeration technician workforce."

NASRC plans to host additional training summits and student networking events in other parts of the country and is actively seeking co-hosts to provide a facility. To offer a facility for future training, contact [email protected].

The event was made possible by co-host SCE and the generous support of premium event sponsors: AHT Cooling Systems USA, BITZER US, CAREL USA, Climate Pros, CoolSys, Emerson, Hillphoenix, Parker Sporlan, Piping Industry Progress & Education (PIPE) and The Arcticom Group.

About the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council

The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit working to advance climate-friendly natural refrigerants and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by traditional HFC refrigerants. We collaborate with stakeholders from across the industry, including over 51,000 food retail locations, to eliminate the barriers to natural refrigerants in supermarkets. For more information, visit nasrc.org, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.