The GreenChill Program, an initiative led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recognized U.S. foods retailers Target and ALDI US for stores that use transcritical CO2 (R744) refrigeration systems in an awards ceremony at the FMI (Food Industry Association) Energy and Store Development Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 25.
Hillphoenix, the leading U.S. provider of transcritical CO2 systems, was also recognized. The awards were presented by Annie Kee and Chris Orvin, each an Environmental Protection Specialist for the EPA’s Stratospheric Protection Division.
Minneapolis-based Target received the Store Leadership award for a remodeled supermarket in San Antonio, Texas, that employs a transcritical CO2 system and an adiabatic gas cooler, achieving energy efficiency despite operating in a warm climate. The award recognizes a “GreenChill certified store demonstrating innovation,” said the EPA. The award was accepted by Kari Watts, Target’s Senior Program Owner, Refrigerant Compliance.
Historically, the GreenChill award recognizing a single certified store has gone to one using a natural refrigerant-based system. Last year it went to went to convenience store chain Kwik Trip for its La Crosse, Wisconsin, outlet, which uses a transcritical CO2 rack system.
In June, Target, which operates almost 2,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, received the 2024 Best-in-Sector/Retail End User award at the ATMOsphere (ATMO) America Summit in Washington, D.C. (ATMOsphere is publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.) Target won the award for, among other reasons, installing transcritical CO2 refrigeration in more than 109 stores and planning to scale low-GWP refrigerants chain-wide by 2040. Target is an EPA GreenChill partner and has a 13% average HFC leak rate.
The 2024 GreenChill award for Store Certification Excellence in the supermarket category went to Batavia, Illinois-based discount chain ALDI US for certifying 611 stores between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, more than any other U.S. supermarket chain, all at the Platinum (highest) level. It is the sixth consecutive year ALDI US, which operates more than 2,000 stores in the U.S., has received this award, which was accepted by Lukas Vogt, Systems and Sustainability Analyst at ALDI US. In the previous cycle, ALDI US certified 628 stores at the Platinum level.
Most of ALDI US’s GreenChill-certified stores use transcritical CO2 systems, with the rest (typically in the Southern U.S.) employing propane (R290)-based self-contained cases. ALDI US is considered the leading retail adopter of transcritical CO2 in the U.S., installing the system in about 70 to 100 stores annually, including both new and remodeled stores.
OEM Hillphoenix, based in Conyers, Georgia, received the Store Certification Excellence award in the non-supermarket category for installing its systems in 777 GreenChill-certified stores, including many ALDI US stores, between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, more than any other U.S. manufacturer. Hillphoenix, which is the leading provider of transcritical CO2 systems in the U.S., achieved this recognition for the 12th consecutive year. Accepting the award for Hillphoenix, a founding member of GreenChill, was Scott Martin, the company’s Senior Director, Industry Relations and Compliance.
Both ALDI US and Target also received awards for Store Recertification Excellence, recognizing stores that have GreenChill-certified for five consecutive years. ALDI US has 164 such stores in 23 states, while Target has 10 in five states.
Awards for leak reduction
The GreenChill program also recognized six other food retailers for reducing leaks (emissions) of refrigerants (typically f-gases) in their stores in 2023. The awards for lowest emissions rate went to City Market, Onion River Co-op, based in Burlington, Vermont (small-independent category) and Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meijer (retail chain).
The award for most improved emissions rate (from 2022 to 2023) was given to California-based BriarPatch Food Co-op while the award for most improved emissions rate since joining GreenChill was won by Brookshire Grocery Company, based in Tyler, Texas. Awards for exceptional goal achievement for reaching a “stretch” emissions-reduction target went to West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee and K-VA-T Stores, based in Abingdon, Virginia.
“Our GreenChill partners are setting a prime example of what it means to be a corporate leader in sustainability,” said Paul Gunning, Director of EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Protection. “We are proud of our GreenChill partners and recognize their work, whose continued innovation is protecting public health and the environment today and for generations to come.”
Launched in 2007, GreenChill is a voluntary partnership program that works cooperatively with the food retail industry to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the environment. In addition to reducing leaks, GreenChill participants are leaders transitioning to environmentally friendlier refrigerants and adopting advanced refrigeration technologies, including natural refrigerant systems.
In the 2024 reporting year, there were more than 13,500 supermarket stores in the GreenChill Program, representing about 30% of stores in the United States, and over 900 GreenChill certified supermarket stores throughout the nation, a 10% increase from 2023 reporting year. (Certified stores do not have to be operated by retailers who are members of the GreenChill Program.) On average, GreenChill food retailers have emissions rates approximately 11% lower than the industry average of 25%.
New certification criteria
Stores can be GreenChill certified at three levels: Platinum, Gold and Silver, based on average HFC charge and emissions rate; Platinum stores achieve the lowest average charge (less than 0.5lbs or 0.23kg per 1,000BTU/hr) and less than 5% annual emissions rate; alternatively, Platinum can be attained if a store’s refrigeration equipment has a GWP less than 150.
However, this criteria was established 15 years ago, and will remain in effect only through the end of 2024. Beginning next year, new criteria based on the age of equipment will be used. Category 1 equipment, installed before January 1, 2025, must meet criteria based on their GWP-weighted charge-to-load ratio and emissions rate. Category 2 equipment, installed after January 1, 2025, will need to meet a different set of more rigorous criteria to show ‘they are going above and beyond regulatory requirements,” said Orvin of the EPA; these stores will be simply called “GreenChill Certified.”
Category 2 stores must use a refrigerant with a GWP of less than 150 and meet the Platinum-level thresholds for Category 1 stores for GWP-weighted charge-to-load ratio (less than 1,600lbs or 726kg per MBTU/hr) and GWP-weighted emissions rate (less than 0.03MTCO2e/MBTU/hr).
Additionally, Category 2 stores must meet two of the following criteria:
- Low GWP in primary refrigeration system (less than 10 GWP)
- Low GWP refrigerant in HVAC (less than 400 GWP)
- Use of advanced refrigeration technology
- Use of reclaimed refrigerant
- Use of a technician training program
EPA is planning one or more training webinars this fall to explain the new certification criteria.
“Our GreenChill partners are setting a prime example of what it means to be a corporate leader in sustainability.”
Paul Gunning, Director of EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Protection
