Kroger CO2-only store receives GreenChill Platinum Award

On April 21 a Kroger store in Ohio, U.S. became one of only a handful of stores to receive the GreenChill Partnership Platinum level award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The installed refrigeration system is a Hillphoenix CO2 transcritical solution that is expected to reduce the store’s overall carbon footprint by 40%.

“The collaboration between Hillphoenix and Kroger on an advanced refrigeration system, which earned EPA’s highest GreenChill certification, demonstrates the progress and innovation a partnership can unleash,” said Tom Land, manager of EPA’s GreenChill program.

Kroger to reduce energy consumption thanks to CO₂ refrigeration system

Kroger’s 124,000-square-foot (11,520 m²) store at 7059 Orchard Centre Drive was designed to earn certification through the U.S. Green Building Council, and it is expected that the CO₂-based refrigeration system could save Kroger 20% on energy. It was Cleveland Construction who managed the installation of the next generation, climate friendly, Hillphoenix refrigeration system.

In addition to investigating low-carbon options for their commercial refrigeration system, Kroger’s new stores include other energy efficiency features such as LED lighting, variable speed drives, skylights with setback controls, heat reclaim systems, nighttime lighting control, building and refrigeration control systems, motion sensors and high efficiency lamps and ballasts. At the Kroger store for example, roughly 95 percent of the former building was recycled through asphalt pulverisation and used as a base layer for the new store parking lot.

Hillphoenix Second Nature Advansor CO₂ systems

The Kroger store uses two CO₂ booster transcritical systems installed in a prefrabricated machine room. Hillphoenix’s Advansor transcritical CO₂ systems provide both low- and medium-temperature refrigeration to display cases and walk-ins. The systems have the following features:

Air-cooled gas cooler with variable-speed fans
Electronic-controlled, high-pressure control valve and flash gas bypass valve
Simple electronic oil management system
A suction accumulator and heat exchanger
Specially-designed evaporator coils for CO₂ direct expansion operation
Electronic expansion valves on all evaporators

R744 helps Kroger reduce its carbon footprint

It is expected that the more efficient carbon dioxide-based refrigeration system will reduce the carbon footprint by 40 percent. This will help address Kroger’s increasing carbon footprint, which rose in 2013 by 3.8% as compared to 2012. According to Kroger’s 2014 sustainability report the retailer expects fugitive refrigerant figures to continue to increase over time as they convert grocery stores from ozone depleting HCFC systems to HFC systems. However, if the overall life cycle costs for the CO₂ test store are positive, further investment in the technology by Kroger could help to reduce emissions.

Hillphoenix GreenChill Platinum Awards

The EPA’s GreenChill Program recognises individual stores for investments made in environmentally sound commercial refrigeration systems and platinum is the highest level of certification awarded. As reported at the 2014 FMI Energy Store & Development Conference, in addition to the Kroger store Hillphoenix has six other GreenChill Platinum certified stores, including a Whole Foods in Brooklyn New York, named GreenChill's ‘Best of the Best’. The store, which is built using reclaimed and repurposed materials, features a number of green technologies, including a state-of-the-art Hillphoenix CO₂ transcritical booster refrigeration system.

About Hillphoenix

Hillphoenix Inc., a Dover Company based in Conyers, Ga, USA, designs and manufactures commercial and industrial refrigeration systems and integrated power systems, commercial refrigerated display cases and specialty products and walk-in coolers and freezers.