On June 26, the global HVAC&R community will be rallying around a common cause in celebration of World Refrigeration Day (WRD 2020).
This year, the scale and means of marking the occasion has been restricted by the pandemic, but WRD founder Stephen Gill says there is still plenty going on.
“WRD 20 is going to be very different from WRD 19 but the desire to raise awareness of our industry remains the same,” says Gill.
“The level of interest is significantly higher than it was last year. Even in these dark days, everyone I speak to wants to get involved and do something. Their resources may be significantly less than last year, and quite a few have been severely impacted by budget reductions or even freezes on spending, and yet their passion and enthusiasm shines through. It is both dazzling and humbling to behold at times.
“WRD 20 should not be a year measured in numbers, but one marked by the passion, creativity and resilience of this industry and the remarkable people in it.”
We’ve picked out seven examples of how the industry is getting behind WRD 2020.
The wonderful world of refrigeration
Australian retailer Woolworths planned to offer a tour of its transcritical CO2 systems, as it did last year. But with pandemic restrictions in force, they decided instead to produce a video and called out to industry stakeholders to provide input. The response was extraordinary.
“We had over 80 clips submitted by enthusiastic stakeholders both from within the Woolworths community but also from our suppliers and technology partners,” says Woolworths Sustainable Innovations Engineer Dario Ferlin, M.AIRAH.
The Woolworths team produced a short clip that captures the world of refrigeration through its many people.
Click here to watch the video or view it below.
Spreading the word
The UK-based Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) has developed several initiatives linked to WRD. One of them is an online campaign that encourages HVAC&R stakeholders in the UK to post on social media.
Besides posting Twitter hashtags – such as @thecoolinghub, #refrigerationheros #openforcooling and #wrefd20 – respondents are asked to provide examples of how the cooling industry has been providing essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic in areas such as food supply, medical facilities, hospitals and building operation.
The IOR is also hosting a webinar on WRD called “Beyond Refrigeration – the challenge to achieve net zero heating and cooling for the UK.”
Virtual Industry Showcase
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (AIRAH) will be staging its first ever Virtual Industry Showcase on June 26 to celebrate WRD 2020. Forming part of AIRAH’s Centenary celebrations, the exhibitor showcase and networking event is open to organisations, professionals and practitioners working in HVAC&R.
The free-of-charge virtual event features an exhibitor showcase in the morning and Q&A sessions in the afternoon. It’s scheduled to run from: 9am–5pm (AEST) | 8.30am–4.30pm (ACST) | 7am–3pm (AWST).
Cold Chain 4 Life
This year’s WRD theme is Cold Chain 4 Life, and is aimed at raising the profile of cold chain technology, along with its associated benefits and challenges such as food waste/loss, health, environment and energy considerations.
As part of 2020 celebrations, the WRD Secretariat, ASHRAE, European Partnership for Energy and Environment (EPEE), International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), and UNEP OzonAction are campaigning to address the importance of the Cold Chain sector and its vital contribution to food safety and security as well as public health and wellbeing.
Under the auspices of the campaign, an international webinar will be held on WRD targeting the public, governments and industry professionals.
Founding of a pan-African refrigeration association
The first ever pan-African refrigeration association has been created in time for World Refrigeration Day 2020. The association will be inaugurated with the formation of U-3ARC, the Union of Associations of African Actors in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.
The group, consisting of 25 association from 24 countries, will hold its first General Assembly on 24-26 September in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. The group has been welcomed by international contractors’ group AREA, which helped with its establishment.
“We look forward to seeing how we can support the development of this Union and working together to achieve our common goal of advancing the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industry,” says AREA president Marco Buoni.
“This is such a bold development in the region that will have a lasting legacy. Although different to how others are celebrating WRD, I can’t help but be inspired by it,” says Gill.
Celebrating on socials
This year, Actrol, along with Reece HVAC and Metalflex, are taking their celebrations online, with a social media competition and customer giveaways throughout the day.
“For those in the industry who want a chance to win, it’s as simple as posting a HVAC&R-related picture on Instagram or Facebook showing what they have been doing to help the world keep its cool,” says Reece. “This could be anything from an installation they are proud of or even an awesome worksite shot.”
Winners will be announced on June 26.
Weekly facts on natural refrigerants
HVAC manufacturer CAREL is celebrating WRD 2020 by starting an awareness campaign around the topic of natural refrigerants. Every week, the company will reveal a few facts about natural refrigerants on its website.
Ranging from simple concepts to more complex notions, the information will reflect the different levels of detail possible and the paths that can be taken to understand more.
On June 26, CAREL will publish a summary infographic that puts together the pieces of the puzzle, as well as an educational video that explores the world of natural refrigerants.
From HVAC&R News, happy World Refrigeration Day!