World Refrigeration Day: Local industry experts must maximise better standards – Govt

As Guyana joined in the observance of World Refrigeration Day on June 26, refrigeration and air conditioning industry experts in Guyana were encouraged to practise better standards and codes to ensure maximum energy efficiency, emissions’ reduction, and refrigerant transition from hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCS) and hydrocarborefrigerations (HCS).
World Refrigeration Day 2023 was observed under the theme “Next-generation cooling: the future in our hands”, which focuses on the future of cooling technology, the industry, and technicians working within it that also benefit from cooling.
Building upon last year’s theme, “Cooling Matters”, this year’s campaign moved forward with the aim of raising awareness on how the modern cooling industry is adapting and evolving to meet the challenges and opportunities the sector faces; recognizing the increasing demand for low carbon cooling and heating solutions in a warming climate.
Next-generation cooling is important because it helps to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of cooling systems, which are becoming more widely used as the world gets hotter and more humid. Supporting next-generation cooling solutions are, of course, the people working within the sector.
According to the founder of World Refrigeration Day, Stephen Gill, “As an industry, we need to recruit, train, and retain people equipped with the knowledge and skills that a modern, forward-thinking industry requires. Just as no one will expect the cooling solutions we supply in the future to be the same as those from the past, no one should expect the workforce to be the same either. This year’s campaign is an opportunity to showcase what we are doing now to ensure we have the diverse (and) highly skilled workforce that our future industry needs.”
Guyana contributes to this initiative through the National Ozone Action Unit (NOAU) by supporting technicians and trainers at the Government Technical Institute, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Training Centre, and the University of Guyana (UG) by procuring advanced equipment and tools, developing curriculums, and increasing training opportunities.
Additionally, the NOAU carries out a wide array of awareness-raising activities to ensure the industry, technicians, and the general public are informed about the advantages of using alternative technologies and natural refrigerants within the cold chain.
During these activities, the NOAU emphasizes the long-term benefits of using equipment that are more energy efficient and more environmentally friendly, and which can safeguard the well-being of our planet for future generations.
Next-generation cooling will tell the story of how our wellbeing depends upon sustainable cooling and heating, and how cooling technology choices and an evolving industry can safeguard the wellbeing of future generations.
World Refrigeration Day celebrates the people and technologies responsible for creating and maintaining the world we live in, a world dependent upon temperature-controlled environments.
Celebrated annually on June 26, World Refrigeration Day is supported globally by industry, professional groups, scientific and engineering associations, as well as by Governments and individuals.