The Silver King brand proudly announces its transition to R-290 refrigerant. Before the end of the year, the eco-friendly alternative will phase out historically used refrigerants (R-134A and R-404A) across the product portfolio.

Many benefits come with this change for the environment, plus restaurant and business owner-operators.

First and foremost, compared to other commonly used refrigerants like R-134A and R-404A , R-290 has a low global warming potential (GWP) rating, making it one of the most environmentally friendly refrigerants. This is especially important as governmental regulations become increasingly stringent. We at Silver King consider the transition to more environmentally friendly solutions imperative for our business and our planet.

But wait, there is more. Cost and energy savings are among the happy benefits for our partners that come with this cool transition.  

WHAT IS R-290

R-290 is a refined hydrocarbon refrigerant that boasts a minimized GWP compared to others. The critical difference is that other refrigerants are classified as or contain hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), which drive a substantially higher GWP. Further, hydrocarbon refrigerants like R-290 are natural, non-toxic, and have no ozone-depleting properties.  

GWP EXPLAINED 

The environmental impact of gases is measured using global warming potential, or GWP for short. It is a relative measure of how much heat a chemical will absorb in the atmosphere, over a given time period, compared to the same weight of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Based on AR4, R-290 has a GWP of 3. Compare that to R-404A or R-134A, which have respective GWPs of 3,922 and 1,430. 

When greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, they absorb energy from the sun and trap it in the earth’s atmosphere. This trapped energy contributes to global warming, acting like a blanket that locks excess energy inside our atmosphere.

For example, CO2 has a GWP of 1. So releasing 1 lb. of R-290 has the same effect as releasing 3 lbs. of CO2. Now compare that to releasing 1 lb. of R-404A, which is equivalent to releasing 3,922 lbs. of CO2 into the atmosphere. You can easily see how refrigerants with a higher GWP are worse than antiquated. They are exponentially worse for our planet.

OUR PROGRESS 

After many months of hard work and significant progress, Silver King is nearing the completion of its R-290 refrigerant transition, which spans ten categories and 80+ products.

So, what goes into a refrigerant transition?

Each model is individually evaluated and re-engineered before undergoing rigorous testing to ensure that all quality, performance, and agency requirements are met. Every detail is accounted for because Silver King prides itself on offering cooling solutions that our partners can count on. 

For example, during the re-engineering phase, Silver King took the opportunity to upgrade select parts to ATEX-certified components, which are specially designed to withstand extreme conditions. Additionally, during the process, we took advantage of the latest refrigeration technologies to improve the energy efficiency of units.  

With numerous new and redesigned elements, from refrigeration systems to electronics, the new enhanced Silver King portfolio is outfitted with the latest efficiencies. So you, like our Silver King products, never lose your cool.  

PROVEN PERFORMANCE 

Consider this: Equipment in Europe and the US have used hydrocarbon refrigerants like R-290 for decades. With millions of units in use over that time, that’s quite a track record of success.  

WHY MAKE THE SWITCH

Since the 1980s, scientists have been on a mission to develop better refrigerants that are more efficient and more eco-friendly. The most commonly used refrigerants in the US to date have been R-134A and R-404A. Still, the EPA is calling for the phase-out of these antiquated HFCs and mandating efficiencies in cooling equipment.

Silver King strives to make future-proof products – a key reason for the R-290 transition – and it’s necessary to comply with governmental regulations. Further, we want to ensure our customers’ peace of mind by providing equipment solutions that minimize the risk of quickly being phased out. 

Conservation of our environment isn’t something we take lightly, and the low GWP rating is another reason to justify the switch. We want to reduce the carbon footprint of our refrigeration product portfolio and help owner-operators do the same for their businesses.

Another key benefit of the Silver King R-290 transition for our customers is that the refrigeration is more thermally efficient than R-404A or R-134A. This means an R-290 refrigerator typically uses less than half of the “charge,” or refrigerant inside, than the same exact refrigerator that uses, for example, R-134A.  

SUMMARY of R-290 TRANSITION BENEFITS

• Minimize our equipment’s GWP
• Reduce the overall environmental impact of our products 
• Decrease the amount of refrigerant used in each of our products
• Improve the efficiency of our cooling solutions  
• Protect our customers’ investments by offering solutions that won’t be quickly phased out 

In short, the Silver King R-290 transition is cost-effective, climate-friendly, and future-proof, benefiting our brand, customers, and planet.

Invest in your long-term success with Silver King. For more information, call 800.328.3329.