North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council

What North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council does

NASRC is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit founded in 2015 and headquartered in Mill Valley, California, that works to accelerate the commercial refrigeration industry's transition from high-global-warming-potential HFC refrigerants to climate-friendly natural alternatives including CO2 (R-744), propane (R-290), and ammonia (R-717). The organization operates as a multi-stakeholder convener across a network of 200+ member organizations representing more than 55,000 food retail locations, with named enterprise participants spanning Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Kroger, Albertsons, and Ahold Delhaize, alongside manufacturers (BITZER, Copeland, Danfoss, Hussmann, Parker Sporlan), service contractors, utilities, trade associations, and HVACR schools.

The organization's core offerings are organized around three priorities: workforce development, funding facilitation, and education. The flagship program is R-TRADE (Refrigeration Technician Recruitment, Advancement, Development, and Education), a nationwide workforce initiative launched in 2024 whose principal sub-products are the Natural Refrigerant Training Summit series (free in-person training events), the R-TRADE Online Learning platform on LearnWorlds, Customized Group Training for enterprises, the Faculty Training Program for HVACR schools, and the Cool Futures career fair program. NASRC also serves as the competitively selected third-party administrator for California's $65MM F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP), a CARB-funded program that incentivizes adoption of ultra-low-GWP refrigeration systems with up to $500,000 per applicant, and now also administers the CARB REFRESH reclamation pilot with Hudson Technologies.

NASRC is funded through tiered membership dues (Silver/Gold/Platinum/Titanium), the R-TRADE Supporters program (ranging from $5K Champion to $100K Principal levels), individual donations, corporate sponsorships (including 1% For the Planet membership), and government grants from sources including CARB, SoCalGas Climate Champions, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The 2025-26 training summit season trained 1,079 technicians over 8,866 hours. A 2024 staff expansion added five program-side hires, and a 2026 three-year MOU with ASHRAE formalizes research and continuing-education collaboration.

Name

North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council

Legal name

North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council

Website

https://nasrc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NASRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that convenes 200+ commercial refrigeration stakeholders spanning 55,000+ food retail locations to advance natural refrigerants via workforce development, training summits, and administration of California's $65MM F-gas Reduction Incentive Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Nonprofit / Refrigeration Industry Association

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

akta.pro primary industry

Refrigerants & F-Gas Accounting and Verification (HFCs, Kigali/EU F-gas) (EUAHADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regulatory & Disclosure Strategy (CSRD/ESRS, ISSB/IFRS S2, SEC, TCFD) (EUABAKAH)

Keywords

• Natural refrigerant adoption
• Refrigeration workforce development
• HFC phase-down training
• Technician education programs
• Refrigeration incentive administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Mill Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with tiered levels (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium) for commercial refrigeration industry stakeholders including service contractors, manufacturers, consultants, and food retailers
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting climate-friendly refrigeration workforce development
3. R-TRADE Supporters Program: Corporate contributions at five levels (Champion $5K, Visionary $10K, Innovator $25K, Leader $50K, Principal $100K) supporting technician workforce initiatives
4. Industry Grants and Sponsorships: Funding from industry companies including BITZER, Climate Pros, Copeland, Danfoss, Hussmann, Parker Sporlan for survey reports and training programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NASRC is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit that drives the transition from high-GWP HFC refrigerants to climate-friendly natural refrigerants (CO2, propane, ammonia) in commercial refrigeration. Its core offerings center on the R-TRADE workforce development initiative, which recruits, trains, and retains refrigeration technicians through free training summits, online learning, faculty training, career fairs, and customized on-site training. NASRC also administers California's $65 million F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP), providing funding facilitation for ultra-low-GWP refrigeration system adoption.

Product overview

NASRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization that operates as a workforce development and advocacy entity rather than a traditional software product company. The core offering is the R-TRADE program (Refrigeration Technician Recruitment, Advancement, Development, and Education), a nationwide workforce initiative that encompasses multiple sub-products including the R-TRADE Online Learning e-learning platform, the Natural Refrigerant Training Summit series (free in-person training events), Customized Group Training (on-site technical training), the Faculty Training Program (train-the-trainer for HVACR schools), Cool Futures Refrigeration Career Fairs (student recruitment events), and the F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP) administration for California. Supporting offerings include the Food Retailer Survey Report, HFC Policy Tracker, Resource Library, and Natural Refrigerant Webinar Series. These programs collectively address the technician shortage while facilitating the industry's transition from HFC to natural refrigerants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• R-TRADE: Refrigeration Technician Recruitment, Advancement, Development, and Education - a nationwide workforce development initiative by NASRC to grow, train, and support the skilled refrigeration technician workforce
• Natural Refrigerant Training Summit
• Cool Futures
• F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP)

Products and services

• R-TRADE Workforce Development Program A nationwide workforce development initiative that grows, trains, and supports the skilled refrigeration technician workforce through a three-pronged approach: Recruitment, Training, and Retention. Aimed at commercial refrigeration industry stakeholders including food retailers, service contractors, manufacturers, and HVACR schools.
• R-TRADE Online Learning Platform An e-learning platform providing online courses for refrigeration technician development and advancement in natural refrigerant technologies, including CO2 and propane systems. Accessible to technicians nationwide as part of the R-TRADE initiative.
• Natural Refrigerant Training Summit A free comprehensive training series for refrigeration technicians on CO2 and propane technologies, featuring hands-on learning opportunities, manufacturer demonstrations, and career fair components. Made free for technicians through Elite Sponsor funding from major food retailers and industry partners.
• Customized Group Training On-site, vendor-neutral technical training delivered by Training Director Rusty Walker at organizational locations, customized to each facility's specific equipment and technician needs. Targeted at commercial refrigeration organizations.
• Faculty Training Program A program providing Southern California HVACR school faculty with compensated online and field training on supermarket refrigeration and CO2 systems to expand curriculum and prepare students for refrigeration careers. Funded by SoCalGas Climate Champions Grant.
• Cool Futures Refrigeration Career Fairs Career fairs for R/HVAC students, recent graduates, and faculty featuring hands-on exploration of refrigeration careers, employer networking, and exposure to natural refrigeration technologies. Reached 267 students through career fair programming.
• F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP) Administration California Air Resources Board's incentive program administered by NASRC to reduce high-GWP emissions by incentivizing adoption of ultra-low-GWP (<10 GWP) refrigerant technologies in commercial and industrial refrigeration facilities, offering up to $500,000 in funding per project. Phase Two offered $38.5 million in total funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,079 technicians trained with 8,866 hours of training in 2025-26 season
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• ASHRAEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Three-year Memorandum of Understanding for research, knowledge sharing, workforce development, and advanced education to accelerate natural refrigerant adoption. Combines ASHRAE's global leadership in research, standards, and continuing education with NASRC's industry network spanning 55,000+ food retail locations.
• Hudson TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025Selected as one of two reclamation providers for California Air Resources Board's REFRESH pilot program, administered by NASRC, to incentivize refrigerant recovery and reclamation.
• California Air Resources Board (CARB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2023NASRC appointed as third-party administrator for CARB's F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP), a $65MM incentive program to accelerate adoption of ultra-low-GWP (<10 GWP) refrigerants across California commercial and industrial refrigeration facilities.
• Albertsons, Amazon, Costco, Kroger, WalmartflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerElite Sponsors of the Natural Refrigerant Training Summit series, providing funding that makes training free for technicians. Founding Partners of R-TRADE workforce development initiative.
• BITZER, Climate Pros, Copeland, Danfoss, Hussmann, Parker SporlancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry sponsors providing funding support for the 2026 Food Retailer Survey Report and other NASRC initiatives.
• UA Local 342, UA Local 32, Steamfitters Local 449, Steamfitters Pipefitters Local 455coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade union partners co-hosting Natural Refrigerant Training Summit events in California, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota.
• Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility partner co-hosting CO2 Transcritical Booster Start-up workshop in Stockton, California through PG&E Energy Centers.
• SoCalGascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoCalGas Climate Champions Grant supporting the Faculty Training Program for Southern California R/HVAC school faculty on supermarket and CO2 refrigeration systems.
• New Yorkers for Clean Power, Cornell Extension Smart ChoicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partners co-hosting the first Natural Refrigerant Training Summit in New York State (Poughkeepsie).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI): Largest U.S. trade association representing HVACR and water heating equipment manufacturers. AHRI is the broad incumbent also working on refrigerants and standards; NASRC is the more narrowly focused natural-refrigerant and workforce convener.
• Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA): National association for HVACR contractors, offering training, certification, and workforce resources. Comparable audience of contractors and technicians though ACCA covers broader HVAC rather than supermarket refrigeration specifically.
• Carrier Global Corporation: Major HVACR manufacturer with significant natural refrigerant product lines (CO2 transcritical, R-290 chillers) and its own technician training programs. Overlaps with NASRC's training and adoption mission as a large supplier-side incumbent.

Direct peers

• International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR): Trade association dedicated to ammonia (R-717) refrigeration with codes, standards, and training for industrial users. Comparable to NASRC's role as a natural refrigerant convener, though IIAR focuses on industrial rather than commercial food retail systems.
• Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES): Long-standing nonprofit that trains, certifies, and supports HVACR technicians through education and a member network. Highly comparable to NASRC's R-TRADE mission and technician training summits, with overlapping trade-school and contractor audiences.
• EPA GreenChill Alliance: EPA voluntary partnership with food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions and adopt green technologies. Closest mission-aligned peer to NASRC on F-gas reduction in supermarkets, with overlapping retailer members.
• HVAC Excellence: Accreditation and certification body for HVACR education programs and instructors. Highly comparable to NASRC's Faculty Training Program and certification initiatives for R/HVAC school educators.
• ASHRAE: Global built environment professional society with standards, research, and continuing-education programs. NASRC signed a 3-year MOU with ASHRAE in 2026, jointly developing workforce development and curriculum; both serve overlapping HVACR stakeholder audiences.

Others

• Carbon Lighthouse: Climate consulting firm that helps commercial real estate and retail portfolios decarbonize. Adjacent to NASRC's mission of reducing refrigeration emissions through education and incentive facilitation.
• Climate Reality Project: Climate advocacy nonprofit with corporate and community training programs. Thematically related to NASRC's climate-focused workforce and education programming, though concentrated on broader climate communications rather than refrigeration specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NatRefCouncil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NASRC
• Facebookfacebook.com/NatRefCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-north-american-sustainable-refrigeration-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/natrefcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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