NASRC Expands Natural Refrigeration Training Program Across the United States
The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a nonprofit organization focused on accelerating the adoption of natural refrigerants, has successfully concluded its 2025–2026 Natural Refrigerant Training Summit series after another year of expanded educational programming, hands-on technical instruction, and industry collaboration.
The training initiative continued to grow significantly during the latest season, bringing together technicians, students, contractors, manufacturers, retailers, and refrigeration professionals from across the country. According to NASRC, the program attracted a total of 1,756 participants, including 1,079 technicians who collectively completed 8,866 hours of technical training.
The organization also reported that 267 students participated in career fair activities hosted alongside the training events, helping introduce future technicians and industry professionals to careers in sustainable refrigeration and climate-friendly cooling technologies.
This year’s summit series included events held in Stockton, Concord, and Irwindale, California, as well as St. Louis, Missouri, and Poughkeepsie, New York. The New York event marked the first time the training summit expanded into the state, representing another important milestone in NASRC’s efforts to broaden workforce development opportunities nationwide.
NASRC Executive Director Danielle Wright said the continued expansion of the program highlights the growing demand for practical education and technical workforce training as the refrigeration industry transitions toward more sustainable systems and natural refrigerant technologies.
“The program’s continued growth demonstrates how eager the industry is for practical, hands-on education and collaboration,” Wright said. “From launching new training experiences to bringing the Summit to New York, we’re proud to continue expanding access to workforce development opportunities to prepare technicians and industry stakeholders for the future of sustainable refrigeration.”
The Natural Refrigerant Training Summit series was created to help technicians and refrigeration professionals gain the skills necessary to work with emerging refrigeration technologies that use environmentally friendly refrigerants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia, and hydrocarbons. These refrigerants are increasingly being adopted as industries move away from high global warming potential synthetic refrigerants in response to environmental regulations and sustainability goals.
As part of the 2025–2026 season, NASRC introduced several new educational experiences and expanded curriculum offerings aimed at addressing evolving industry needs. One of the most notable additions was the program’s first-ever transcritical CO2 booster system startup workshop. The workshop provided technicians with direct experience in startup procedures and operational practices associated with advanced CO2 refrigeration systems.
The organization also launched what it described as the refrigeration industry’s first showcase dedicated entirely to CO2 remote condensing units, commonly referred to as RCUs. These systems are becoming increasingly important in commercial refrigeration applications due to their lower environmental impact and improved energy efficiency.
According to NASRC, feedback from participants demonstrated strong learning outcomes from the new educational experiences. The organization reported that 96% of attendees at the CO2 remote condensing unit showcase indicated that the training improved their understanding and knowledge of CO2 refrigeration technologies.
The summit series also expanded its educational programming through the introduction of a new industrial learning track. This curriculum addition focused on refrigeration systems used in industrial and large-scale applications, helping technicians gain exposure to a broader range of refrigeration technologies and operational environments.
Industry leaders continue to emphasize the importance of technician education as demand increases for natural refrigerant systems in supermarkets, cold storage facilities, food processing plants, and industrial refrigeration operations. Many companies are now investing heavily in workforce development initiatives to ensure technicians are properly trained to install, maintain, and operate these advanced systems safely and effectively.
The NASRC training events were designed to combine classroom instruction with practical hands-on learning opportunities. Participants were able to interact directly with refrigeration equipment, system components, manufacturers, and experienced trainers while developing technical skills applicable to real-world refrigeration environments.
In addition to technical training, the events also included career development and networking opportunities aimed at strengthening the future workforce pipeline. Through the student career fairs, participants were introduced to potential employers, industry organizations, and educational resources that could support long-term career growth in the refrigeration and HVAC sectors.
NASRC noted that one of the key factors enabling the continued success and expansion of the summit series was strong support from major industry sponsors. The 2025–2026 training season was offered free of charge to technicians due to sponsorship support from several leading companies and retailers.
Elite sponsors for the season included Albertsons, Amazon, BITZER US, Costco, Kroger, and Walmart. These organizations have become increasingly active in supporting sustainable refrigeration initiatives as they work toward corporate climate goals and environmentally responsible operations.
Many large retailers and food companies are accelerating the adoption of natural refrigerant systems across stores, warehouses, and distribution centers as part of broader sustainability and emissions reduction strategies. Supporting technician education is considered essential to ensuring the successful implementation and long-term operation of these systems.
Public-sector funding also played an important role in supporting the training events. The California summits received funding assistance through the California Air Resources Board’s F-gas Reduction Incentive Program, which is designed to encourage the reduction of high-emission refrigerants and promote climate-friendly alternatives.
Meanwhile, the New York event was supported through funding from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The support reflects growing state-level investment in sustainable cooling technologies and workforce training initiatives tied to environmental goals.
As natural refrigerant adoption continues to expand across North America, organizations like NASRC are playing a central role in preparing the industry workforce for the future. By combining technical education, hands-on learning, and industry collaboration, the Natural Refrigerant Training Summit series is helping technicians develop the expertise required to support a more sustainable refrigeration sector.
With increasing regulatory pressure, growing environmental awareness, and rising demand for climate-friendly technologies, the need for trained refrigeration professionals is expected to continue growing in the coming years. NASRC says it plans to build on the momentum of the 2025–2026 season by continuing to expand training access, introduce new educational opportunities, and support workforce development efforts across the refrigeration industry.
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