Grenada stores promote natural refrigerants on refrigerator stickers

The Caribbean island of Grenada’s National Ozone Unit (NOU) – whose slogan is, “Protect the Ozone Layer, it protects you!” – announced that two local appliance stores are affixing NOU-provided magnetic stickers to every refrigerator declaring the use of natural refrigerants.

The natural refrigerant in question is isobutane (R600a), the hydrocarbon refrigerant widely used outside of the U.S. (where the charge limit of 57 g limits its use).

“This appliance uses Natural Refrigerants,” the green, blue and white stickers states, adding, “Naturally Cool, Climate Friendly, Energy Efficient.”

Two local appliance stores in St. George’s, Grenada – Courts grenada Limited (UNICOMER) and L A Purcel – have aligned with a natural refrigerant promotion program organized by NOU and the Cool Contributions fighting Climate Change (C4) Project. The C4 Project includes the countries of Grenada, Costa Rica, Phillipines, Vietnam and Iran.

“This initiative is part of the NOU’s trust to replace the high global warming refrigerants (such as R-134a) that [are] used in these appliances with alternatives that are environmentally friendly and at the same time more energy efficient,” said the NOU in a statement on its website.

R600a, the statement said, “has very good thermodynamic properties and very good cooling capacity.”

Other advantages, the statement said, include energy efficiency, low cost, less refrigerant charge, operation at lower temperatures (extending the life of compressors) and quieter operation.