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This Expert Opinion column has been written by Morgan Vanzo, Senior Director of the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a nonprofit working to eliminate refrigeration’s environmental impacts by facilitating the transition to natural refrigerants. Here Vanzo writes about the importance of technician training to accelerate the transition to natural refrigerants in the U.S.
The key to accelerating the transition to natural refrigerants: technicians
The refrigeration industry is experiencing a transformational shift. Natural refrigerant adoption is inevitable, driven by mounting policy requirements, growing corporate climate commitments and a clear need to secure a resilient future for the industry. The clock is ticking to move away from hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants (HFCs) and toward future-proof alternatives like CO2 (R744), ammonia (R717) and propane (R290).
While this transition comes with technical and financial challenges, it also presents a unique opportunity: the chance for industry-wide collaboration to build a resilient and sustainable future.
Our ability to transition quickly and at scale depends on one thing above all else: a skilled, continuously growing refrigeration technician workforce. That makes the current technician shortage the most critical barrier to natural refrigerant adoption in the U.S.
The power of a skilled workforce
A confident, well-trained technician workforce is the foundation for a successful transition. When technicians have the expertise to install, maintain and service the full range of natural refrigerant systems, the industry gains the capacity to move forward quickly and effectively. These skills drive measurable benefits, like enhanced system performance, improved service reliability and reduced operational costs, while securing compliance and positioning businesses for long-term success.
|It’s clear: Natural refrigerant adoption isn’t just a technology challenge but a people challenge too. The technicians who keep our systems running are best positioned to solve it.”
Morgan Vanzo, Senior Director of the NASRC
Empowering today’s technicians and energizing tomorrow’s recruits
The NASRC created R-TRADE, short for “refrigeration technician recruitment, advancement, development and education.” This nationwide workforce development program is designed to strengthen the technician pipeline from all angles – from recruiting talent into the field and training existing technicians to advocating for retention and developing school curricula.
R-TRADE aims to provide high-quality, low-to-no-cost hands-on training and career-building resources so technicians can thrive in a rapidly evolving refrigeration landscape. The program addresses immediate workforce needs while cultivating the next generation of skilled workers who will lead the industry.
Taking training to the technicians
One of the most significant roadblocks to training is access. Time, travel costs and registration fees can make professional development opportunities challenging for many technicians, especially those working for smaller contractors.
That’s why the NASRC developed the Natural Refrigerant Training Summit, a cornerstone of R-TRADE. These free, multi-day events are held nationwide annually, giving as many technicians as possible access to classroom and hands-on training from leading manufacturers and industry experts on CO2 and propane technologies. Since 2023, these events have trained more than 1,600 technicians. The events’ unique format also creates valuable networking opportunities, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing among technicians, manufacturers and contractors.
Most importantly, every summit extends beyond current technicians, with dedicated career fairs for local R/HVAC students and faculty, introducing students to the refrigeration technician career path and connecting future talent with potential employers. To date, over 450 students from more than 40 schools nationwide have participated.
Upcoming Dates for the Natural Refrigerant Training Summit
November 4–6, 2025 | Concord, CA
December 4–5, 2025 | Stockton, CA
February 10–12, 2026 | Poughkeepsie, NY
March 10–12, 2026 | St. Louis, MO
April 21–23, 2026 | Irwindale, CA
Learn more and register at nasrc.org/r-trade.
How industry leaders are investing in the future workforce
R-TRADE’s success wouldn’t be possible without industry investment. The program was launched through seed funding from its founding partners: Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Kroger and Albertsons. These companies recognized early on that solving the technician shortage isn’t just great for their own operations – it’s great for the industry’s collective future.
In July 2025, NASRC launched the R-TRADE Supporters program, which allows other organizations to join the founding partners in investing in workforce development solutions.
R-TRADE Supporters make direct, tangible contributions that improve recruitment, training and retention for refrigeration technicians at scale. Contributions allow the NASRC to host free, in-person, expert training events while supporting workforce recruitment through resources like school career fairs and faculty training.
It’s time to invest in technicians
The refrigeration industry relies on the skills and dedication of its technicians. By investing in our workforce now, we remove adoption bottlenecks slowing our progress, equip the next generation of technicians with much-needed skills and build industry resilience to withstand regulatory changes and market pressures.
It’s clear: Natural refrigerant adoption isn’t just a technology challenge but a people challenge too. The technicians who keep our systems running are best positioned to solve it.
To learn more about becoming an R-TRADE Supporter, visit nasrc.org/r-trade-supporters or email info@nasrc.org.
