Refrigeration Roundtable: Dearth of Technicians, Regulatory Questions Top Concerns

The days and nights of even the highest quality refrigeration contractors are filled with challenges and concerns that have developed from decades of "getting it done," while demographic forces were changing in unexpected ways.

Comfort cooling and heating professionals are in the same boat: the lack of younger, skilled technicians who can fill the ranks of companies clamoring for new talent.

Each year that we convene our Refrigeration Roundtable of commercial refrigeration experts, the question of greatest challenges receives the same answer: the dwindling talent pool.

Training-related challenges were also expressed: quality of training, time to complete training, and not having enough hours in the day (and night) to complete work at a pace at which true professionals work best: methodically.

The combined HVACR industry is working to attract more new talent, but it will not realistically achieve the goal of more than 100,000 new recruits by 2020. It just won't happen.

Third on the list of concerns, is the uncertainty in the regulatory environment and questions over the path replacement refrigerants will take in the coming decade.

Click through our gallery to read what our experts said during our two-day discussion. Our discussions were moderated by Keilly Witman, president, KW Refrigerant Management Strategy.

Watch for additional reports in 2019.

The Refrigeration Roundtable was sponsored by Emerson, Chemours and Honeywell.