Two Key Food stores in the New York City borough of the Bronx replaced HFC equipment with propane (R290)-based display cases after receiving $350,000 (€307,510) in state grants from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), according to an announcement by the DEC on April 28.
The projects were managed by the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) with the DEC’s support coming through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.
The stores, located on White Plains Road and Tremont Avenue in the Bronx, each received approximately $175,000 (€153,773) for the purchase of R290 self-contained cases. The stores are part of the Key Food Stores Co-op, a cooperative of independently owned supermarkets primarily in the northeastern U.S.
“Our new, low-temp R290 cases are sleek, quiet and an efficient replacement of our HFC-dependent frozen food cases,” Salvatore Bonavita, Co-Owner and Operator of the Key Food store on White Plains Road and one other Key Food store that was not part of the conversions, said in the announcement. The store’s contractor for the installation was Empire Refrigeration.
In an interview with NaturalRefrigerants.com, Bonavita noted that the new air-cooled cases, made by Irish manufacturer Novum, encompass about 40 doors along the frozen food aisle in the 9,200ft2 (855m2) store. The store removed a roof-located low-temperature HFC rack, though another HFC rack still serves medium-temperature cases. “There are no one-size-fits-all solutions to every refrigeration challenge facing long-serving, inner-city-based stores, which typically have a patchwork of legacy systems,” he said.
The new cases help Key Food comply with new HFC regulations enacted in New York State late last year, said Bonavita. “Although the regulations may not require the replacement of existing equipment, the practical realities of running a grocery store often require otherwise,” he added.
The new regulations, which amended 6 NYCRR Part 494, include 20-year GWP limits of 10 for many new HVAC&R systems starting in 2034, thereby helping to foster the adoption of natural refrigerant-based applications. On April 9 two trade associations, HARDI and AHRI, sued the DEC, seeking to invalidate the new regulations and halt enforcement.
‘A great option’
For Bonavita the DEC grant proved to be “a great option that would have not happened but for the confluence of circumstances only made possible through this program,” though there were additional costs not covered under the grant. “For many independent grocery stores serving income-sensitive communities, the best hope may lie with similar collaborative projects,” he said.
In its announcement the DEC described the two projects as “great examples of how small and independent stores can lower costs and phase in natural refrigerants by staging their equipment replacements over time.” Both stores expect to see reduced energy costs and have an opportunity “to update their merchandising and overall store design,” added the DEC.
“I applaud Key Food and the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council for working with DEC to advance these Bronx-based projects that demonstrate successful installations of new, non-HFC equipment that increases efficiency, reduces costs, improves public health and advances the transition from HFCs,” said DEC Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton.
“These projects are excellent examples of how turnkey remodels can provide practical and scalable solutions for retailers aiming to stay ahead of regulatory pressures while future-proofing their stores,” said Danielle Wright, Executive Director of NASRC. “By transitioning to natural refrigerants, these stores have positioned themselves for long-term operational and compliance benefits.”
Last year, the DEC, the NASRC and the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) facilitated natural refrigerant projects at two other New York stores, an ALDI US supermarket in Buffalo and a Walgreens drugstore in Islandia. The ALDI store installed a transcritical CO2 (R744) system, while the Walgreens outlet added a CO2 condensing unit, according to industry sources.
These four natural refrigerant store projects, all located in disadvantaged communities, “are models for future commercial sustainable refrigeration transitions in retail food facilities,” said the DEC.
“Our new, low-temp R290 cases are sleek, quiet and an efficient replacement of our HFC-dependent frozen food cases.”
Salvatore Bonavita, Co-Owner and Operator of two Key Food stores
