GreenChill in Every State; Hy-Vee Store Chain Now a Member
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) GreenChill partnership reported recently it now has 7,000 partner stores located in all 50 states, representing 20% of the supermarket industry. The partnership works with food retailers to transition to more environmentally friendly refrigerants, and reduce refrigerant leak rates.
Among those stores is the Iowa-based Hy-Vee Inc.'s latest location in Fairfield, IA. The store is the company’s second Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®)-certified store, and one of fewer than 15 supermarkets in the country that has achieved EPA GreenChill Gold-Level certification.
Hy-Vee chose the Hill PHOENIX Second Nature medium temperature glycol secondary system for its meat, seafood and deli cases. With this advanced system, Hill PHOENIX is able to replace a significant amount of R404A refrigerant with food grade, 35% aqueous propylene glycol fluid. The fluid is circulated throughout the sales floor to refrigerate product in the medium temperature cases and coolers.
"A typical medium temperature direct expansion system would use around 2,700 pounds of refrigerant for a store this size," explains John Gallaher, director of business development for Hill PHOENIX. "With the Second Nature glycol system, we're using just a fraction of that amount and circulating the glycol to keep the cases cool."
Because R404A is used only to chill the glycol, this advanced system uses just 1,397 pounds of R404A refrigerant charge, with 1,600 gallons of glycol. This method reduces overall refrigerant charge on the medium temperature side by 50% compared to a standard direct expansion system.
CO2 for Low-temp Cases
For the first time, the Hill PHOENIX Second Nature low temperature CO2 secondary system is being used by Hy-Vee for its cases and walk-in freezers. The low temp system uses CO2 fluid as a secondary coolant in a loop piping system. With this technology, CO2 is supercooled into liquid form and then travels throughout the low temperature food cases and walk-ins where it absorbs heat, which is then removed through condenser-evaporators in the machine room. Then, the CO2 is supercooled again and sent back through the cases in a continuing loop. hillphoenix.com