ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced a collaborative effort to develop and publish a new Guide for Sustainable Refrigerated Facilities and Systems. Scheduled to be completed in early 2014, the $400,000 project is being jointly funded by ASHRAE and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montréal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
The guide will address the entire range of facility and equipment design and efficiency alternatives for refrigerated processing, storage and distribution (cold chain) in both developed and developing countries. As global urbanization continues, refrigerated storage and transport from farm to store is critical.