Facilities with refrigeration systems in California may need to comply with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Refrigerant Management Program (RMP) regulation. Compliance requirements include conducting periodic leak inspections; monitoring and repairing leaks; keeping accurate records; and, if applicable, reporting annually.
Regulated Facilities & Systems
Commercial facilities with stationary, non-residential refrigeration systems that have a full charge greater than 50 pounds of high-GWP refrigerant (i.e., GWP equal to or greater than 150) must adhere to this regulation.
Impacted facilities typically include:
- supermarkets & grocery stores
- cold storage warehouses
- distribution & manufacturing
- ice rinks
- oil / gas production
Regulatory compliance requirements are based on facility and system category. Leak detection & monitoring requirements are dependent upon the size category of the system, similarly to the facility category.
| Full Charge of System | Leak Inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| ≥ 2,000 lbs. | Varies (Automatic Leak Detection May Be Required) | Or each time an additional refrigerant charge ≥ 5 lbs. or 1% of the refrigeration system’s charge (whichever is greater) is added |
| 200 to 2,000 lbs. | Every 3 Months | Or each time an additional refrigerant charge ≥ 5 lbs. or 1% of the refrigeration system’s charge (whichever is greater) is added |
| 50 to 200 lbs. | Every 12 months | Or each time an additional refrigerant charge ≥ 5 lbs. or 1% of the refrigeration system’s charge (whichever is greater) is added |
Certain large refrigeration systems are subject to automatic leak detection (ALD) monitoring requirements. For an ALD to be CARB complaint, it must meet these requirements:
- An automatic leak detection system which directly detects the presence in air of a high-GWP refrigerant, sensors or intakes must be placed so that they will continuously monitor the refrigerant
- Must accurately detect a concentration level of 10 parts per million (ppm) of vapor of the specific refrigerant(s) used in the refrigeration system
- Alert the operator when a refrigerant concentration of 100 ppm of vapor of the specific refrigerant(s) is reached
Bacharach offers numerous solutions that meet CARB’s ALD requirements, including Bacharach’s Multi-Zone, Single-Zone, and MGS-250. What’s more, the Bacharach PGM-IR can be used effectively to track and trace refrigerant leaks on-site.