US store granted highest award thanks to CO₂ refrigeration 

Thanks to its advanced refrigeration system, the Star Market store at Chestnut Hill in Newton, Massachusetts was the first supermarket in the US to receive the EPA’s GreenChill Partnership platinum store award. By cutting the refrigerant charge by 85% compared to a typical supermarket, the impact of the system on climate change and the ozone layer is significantly reduced. This is achieved by employing:

• Glycol heat-exchange fluid for the cooler cases, such as dairy
• CO₂ heat-exchange fluid for the colder freezer cases

The Massachusetts store is believed to consist a test lab for energy-efficient technologies that food retailer SUPERVALU, the owner of Star Market stores, will use next in California.

Heat recovery and other sustainability features

To power its refrigeration system as well as HVAC, elevators, cash registers and lighting, the store makes use of an ultra-clean fuel cell that uses natural gas and produces water and heat energy as its only by-products. The heat energy is subsequently recovered to cool the refrigeration cases and provide space heating in the winter.

With regards to lighting, LEDs provide all the interior and exterior illumination, saving an estimated 50-65% of energy.

About GreenChill Partnership

The supermarkets taking part in the GreenChill Programme are already emitting fewer ozone-depleting and greenhouse gases compared to other U.S. supermarkets. According to the EPA the country could save the equivalent of 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and 240 ozone-depleting potential tons each year - equal to the annual emissions from more than four million cars if all supermarkets reduce their emissions to the current GreenChill average.