Conyers, Georgia (U.S.)-based OEM Hillphoenix has over 14,000 transcritical CO2 (R744) refrigeration systems globally, said Eduardo Navarro, Vice President of Product Segments for Dover Food Retail, of which Hillphoenix, Anthony and Advansor are brands.
Navarro provided this information in a recent company video, adding that the installations happened in a “wide range of applications and ambient conditions.”
Hillphoenix said last year it expected to have over 1,000 transcritical CO2 systems in North America by end of 2022 and over 2,000 in 2025.
In the U.S., the company has earned 11 consecutive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) GreenChill Store Certification Excellence Awards, Navarro noted. This award goes to the commercial refrigeration systems manufacturer that has installed more advanced refrigeration systems in GreenChill-certified stores than any other GreenChill partner in the past year. For example, in the 2021–2022 cycle, Hillphoenix systems were installed in over 80% of GreenChill-certified stores, according to a statement by the company.
“Achieving GreenChill Certification provides recognition and publicity for a company’s commitment to environmental protection and stewardship,” the EPA says on its website.
To support companies and installers, Hillphoenix provides training through its learning center. “We have educated over 40,000 industry professionals, the vast majority on natural refrigeration systems,” Navarro said.
Overall, since the company’s initial foray into environmentally friendly refrigeration units in 1998, “we have been driving the development of natural refrigerant solutions and supporting the efforts of our food retail and industrial refrigeration customers on this complex journey,” Navarro said. “We offer hands-on, time-tested practical experience.”
Hillphoenix supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions by “engaging with key industry organizations,” Navarro said. The company helped found EPA’s GreenChill program, fostered the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) and is a platinum sponsor for the ATMOsphere American Summit, to be held June 12–13 in Washington, D.C.
At last year’s ATMOsphere American Summit, Paul Sindoni, President & CEO of Dover Food Retail, indicated that the company would shortly offer natural refrigerants in more than half of its refrigeration systems, with that offering climbing to 90% by 2030.
Large to small CO2 systems
“We have invested significant research and development resources towards building [a] comprehensive, environmentally friendly product portfolio,” Navarro said, pointing to the company’s platform CO2 product ranges and a large variety of self-contained propane (R290) refrigerated cases.
The company’s CO2 system designs support food retail and small refrigeration needs with its new platform designs for retail, along with engineered-to-order designs for industrial, all containing CO2 reciprocating compressors for both low- and medium-temperature loads.
Hillphoenix’s initial transcritical CO2 platform, branded Advansor, covers conventional and large applications. The AdvansorFlex offers the same CO2 technology as the Advansor, but in a smaller format with more flexibility, the company says on its product webpage.
The company announced the extension of its Advansor line for smaller applications with the AdvansorFlex-Mini in June of 2021. “Hillphoenix can supply a CO2 refrigeration solution for stores of all sizes in any climate zone,” the company said, with its first installation of the unit at a convenience store the following year.
“Both the AdvansorFlex and the AdvansorFlex-Mini platforms are predesigned and pre- engineered with flexible capacity to fill small-to-medium loads for a central or distributed CO2 design,” said Derek Gosselin, Director of the Technical Product Support Group for Hillphoenix.
In 2022, the company unveiled the first CO2One Single Condensing Unit available in North America, using variable speed compression for small capacity loads in a small footprint. The unit can be used for display cabinets and walk in coolers and freezers, offering low or medium temperatures with a single unit or split system, the company says on the unit’s product webpage.
Navigating regulations
The impact of synthetic refrigerants on the environment is a current challenge for the refrigeration industry, Navarro said. With its experience in retail and industrial refrigeration solutions, Hillphoenix seeks to help companies “navigate the evolving landscape of regulations” in the U.S.
“We are committed to making the necessary investments in support of the industry’s rapid growth in CO2 adoption with new dedicated high velocity assembly lines and digital tools that simplify the customer experience while we continue to work with [companies] not only to navigate the complex regulatory environment but to build a personalized plan for compliance that matches [the company’s] strategic business needs,” Navarro said.
The company also offers aftermarket services, seeking to help customers identify energy savings opportunities, optimize performance and improve store environment, Hillphoenix says on its website.
In Europe, Hillphoenix owns Denmark-based Advansor, a major manufacturer of transcritical CO2 systems for the European market.
“We have been driving the development of natural refrigerant solutions and supporting the efforts of our food retail and industrial refrigeration customers on this complex journey.”
Eduardo Navarro, Vice President of Product Segments for Dover Food Retail
