Dive Brief:
- Axiom Cloud has received a patent for technology that can detect refrigerant leaks in retail and cold storage without the need for receiver-level sensors.
- The company’s AI algorithms are trained on 1,200 site-years of real-world refrigeration data from a database of more than 80,000 anomalies that have been confirmed by U.S.-based refrigeration specialists, Axiom said in a July 15 release. The technology can also estimate leak rates, in pounds per day, which can help facility managers prioritize and batch leaks more efficiently, the company said.
- The patent covers Axiom’s software-only approach that enables deployment across hundreds of sites without any onsite installation of new hardware or sensors, Axiom said. It comes as grocery retailers, cold storage operators and other end users work to meet regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state-level regulations to prevent leaks.
Dive Insight:
Beginning in 2026, end users must navigate requirements for refrigerant leak detection, repair and management imposed by the HFC Management Rule, according to law firm Hunton. The final rule, part of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 and signed by the EPA under the Biden administration last September, has provisions designed to reduce leaks from large refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.
These include requirements for leak repair of appliances that hold 15 pounds or more of a refrigerant that contains an HFC or an HFC substitute with a global warming potential over 53.
While a previous 50-pound threshold applied to equipment mainly found at property types like grocery stores or sometimes convenience stores, the new 15-pound requirement opens compliance requirements to other property types, such as restaurants and additional verticals, that may not already be tracking compliance, according to Scott Boekweg, product manager in charge of Corrigo’s refrigerant compliance at JLL Technologies.
According to the EPA’s rule, automatic leak-detection systems are required for certain new and existing appliances that contain more than 1,500 pounds of refrigerant with an HFC or an HFC substitute that has a GWP of over 53, according to Boekweg. The rule also requires maximizing reclamation and reuse of refrigerants when possible and servicing and repairing existing equipment in certain refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump subsectors with reclaimed HFCs.
Axiom says its new intellectual property protection addresses these pressures while also helping to solve the chronic technician shortage by enabling early-career technicians to use AI-generated diagnostics and repair recommendations.
For major grocery chains and refrigerated warehouse operators, which can manage hundreds of facilities, the ability to estimate leak rates and improve fixes translates to millions in avoided emergency repairs and reduced refrigerant costs, Axiom said.
The Axiom platform integrates with existing infrastructure and is recognized as compliant with automatic leak-detection requirements by the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, the company says.
