In 2012, hydrocarbons21.com will be reporting from leading refrigeration and air conditioning conferences, workshops and trade shows around the world to keep you informed about latest developments regarding the use of hydrocarbons as natural refrigerants. Read on to find out which are the must-go to events to add to your calendar.

January

ASHRAE Winter Conference, Chicago, USA, 21-25 January 2012: ASHRAE members will discuss the latest topics in the building industry, such as high performing buildings and integrated design. Registrants can also participate in technical tours or attend ASHRAE Learning Institute courses and earn professional credits or obtain ASHRAE certifications.

AHR Expo, Chicago, USA, 23-25 January 2012: Co-sponsored and held in conjunction with the ASHRAE Winter Conference, the AHR Expo is aiming at bringing leading manufacturers and innovative suppliers to network, examine the latest technology and learn about the newest practices in terms of energy efficiency and sustainable building technology.

February

HVAC&R, Tokyo, Japan, 14-17 February 2012: The 37th Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigerating Expo organised by the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA) is a forum facilitating the development of HVAC&R industries initiatives and the introduction of new products. The programme of the events will include various lectures and seminars on technology featuring experts from government, academia and industry sectors.

ACREX 2012, Bangalore, India, 23-25 February 2012: The 13th edition of ACREX India is organised by the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE). This platform is an occasion for providers to showcase innovative, environmental friendly and sustainable technologies to meet the ever growing Indian market needs.

March

Mostra Convegno Expocomfort, Milan, Italy, 27-30 March 2012: This international showroom for renewable energy, energy efficiency and saving is aiming at showing how heating, air-conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing technology, water treatment and HVAC components improve the quality of life facing the challenge of a sustainable comfort.

April

China Refrigeration Expo, Beijing, China, 11-13 April 2012: International exhibition for refrigeration, air-conditioning, heating and ventilation, frozen food processing, packaging and storage.

Food Retail Show, FMI2012, Dallas, United States, 30 April-3 May 2012: This event attracts yearly about 1,000 top decision-makers from the full spectrum of the food industry, not only from national and regional chain supermarkets, distributors, and wholesalers, but also from consumer outlets with emerging importance and potentially powerful impact.

May

ARBS Trade Exhibition, Melbourne, Australia, 7-9 May 2012: This major HVACR and building services event will be held over 3 days and features the trade exhibition, an informative seminar program and the national awards gala event. Showcasing the very latest innovations and technologies, ARBS connects local, national, and international exhibitors with major buyers, specifies, design and consulting engineers and technicians.

June

ATMOsphere America, Washington DC, United States, 12-13 June 2012: A meeting place for industry experts to discuss natural refrigerant trends, latest technologies and regulatory issues in the US and Canada. ATMOsphere America 2012 is very timely as several SNAP rulings for hydrocarbon applications have been approved just recently.

IIR-Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Working Fluids, Delft, The Netherlands, 25-27 June 2012: The 10th edition of this biennial conference provides the opportunity to approach and network with the Netherlands refrigeration market and learn where the country currently stands on research. International speakers, local and international delegates will discuss the latest research results and advances of natural refrigerant applications.

September

ATMOsphere Europe, Brussels, Belgium, 17-19 September 2012 (dates to be confirmed): Do not miss the 4th edition of this international and interactive workshop on Natural Refrigerants. Policy and industry experts will come together to discuss strategies and concepts to bring natural refrigerants faster to Europe and prove the business case for natural refrigerants.

October

Chillventa, Nuremberg, Germany, 9-11 October 2012: International trade fair for refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation and heat pumps hosting, among other side events, the European Heat Pump Summit 2012.

Other important events in 2012 to be confirmed:

• Underwriters Laboratory (UL) Flammable Refrigerants Workshop, Chicago, USA, 26 January 2012.
• IRHACE Energy efficiency and compliance conference, Melbourne, Australia, 7-9 May 2012.
• ASHRAE/NIST Refrigerants conference, Gaithersburg, USA, 29-30 October 2012.
• 24th UNEP Meetings of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, Geneva, Switzerland, 12-16 November 2012.