Use of R290 Equipment Expanding in Supermarkets

Last October, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved a higher charge limit of 500g on propane (R290) commercial plug-in display cases without doors, and 300g for closed devices with doors or drawers. The higher charge limits still need to be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and changes need to be made to local building codes before equipment containing these higher limits can be installed. Nevertheless, the move is a welcome development for retail outlets that want to take advantage of R290’s low global warming potential (GWP) of 3, excellent energy efficiency, and cost performance.