Oregon-based manufacturer G&D Chillers has launched the Elite 290 Microseries, a new compact propane (R290) chiller line for the U.S. market, with applications in the beer, wine, dairy, biogas and industrial sectors.
The new microseries offers the same 0.5‒165TR (1.8‒580kW) refrigeration capacities as the company’s Elite 290 line, launched May 2024, but in a smaller frame with variable speed fans, Paul Johnson, Director of Technology and R&D, told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
“Our customers [drive] the types of chillers we build,” said Justin Thomas, President of G&D Chillers. “We’re excited to offer our most versatile chiller yet featuring future-proof R290 refrigerant.”
The charge of the original Elite R290 line ranges from “as little as a few grams” to around 2.7kg, with outlet temperatures from 28 to 65°F (−2.2 to 18.3°C), Johnson said. The company worked with its partner Frascold, an Italian compressor manufacturer, to develop the line.
Microseries updates: The compact design vents vertically instead of horizontally, allowing placement in tighter spaces. “With air intake available on all four sides, we can restrict up to 50% of the intake path without affecting the system,” Johnson said.
- “The Elite 290 Microseries eliminates the need for mechanical switches, [giving] a wider fluid temperature range [than the original R290 chiller] with more accurate control,” G&D Chillers said, adding that the compressor also provides more stable cooling.
Manufacturing turnover: G&D Chillers also produces synthetic refrigerant-based equipment, including A2Ls. However, according to Vice President of Sales Andy Backer, the company has seen “a lot of buzz” around its R290 chiller since showcasing the original unit at the 2024 Craft Brewers Conference in Las Vegas.
- Backer indicated that the company has sold roughly 10 R290 chillers in the U.S. in the past year, primarily for industrial applications, with sales in California, Colorado, Oregon and the Midwest. “We are talking to a Vermont energy company right now, along with some Canadian firms,” he added.
- In July 2024, Thomas said he foresees shifting the company’s production entirely to R290 within five years. “However, for that to happen, U.S. regulators need to step up nationwide regulations for installing outdoor propane units,” Thomas said.
Obtaining approval: With no clear U.S. standard for indirect propane systems, G&D Chillers works with local jurisdictions on a case-by-case basis to install its R290 units.
- International standards and codes globally in place, including IEC 60335-2-40, allow up to a 4.9kg charge of A3 refrigerant outdoors.
- In March 2024, ASHRAE Standing Standard Project Committee Chair Jim Vershaw indicated that the approval for that charge limit in the U.S. will not likely happen until “2025 or later.”
- The International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration has a hydrocarbon standard, allowing up to 1,100lbs (500kg) per site, in the final review stages and expects to receive ANSI approval later this year.
Quotable: “A thorough study has been done of the Elite 290 to minimize the charge,” said Matteo Iobbi, Fascold CTO. “Being a chiller with a very low refrigerant charge, [designed] for outside installation and [equipped] with state-of-the-art protection devices, the unit is operationally extremely safe.”
“We’re excited to offer our most versatile chiller yet featuring future-proof R290 refrigerant.”
Justin Thomas, President of G&D Chillers
