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Price Chopper Helps Environment with Revolutionary Refrigeration Technology

Release Date: 07/10/2008
Contact Information: Caroline Newton, 212-637-3666, newton.caroline@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y.) Price Chopper, a U. S. Environmental Protection Agency GreenChill partner, unveiled a new CO2 Cascade Refrigeration System in its store on Route 50 in Saratoga Springs, NY. This installation condenses CO2 using R-404A and is the first of its kind in North America. It not only helps protect the ozone layer and significantly reduces the supermarket’s contribution to global warming, it is also economically efficient.

“This is a great example of a GreenChill partner taking the lead in developing a more environmentally friendly supermarket,” said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator. “We’d like to see every supermarket in the nation follow Price Chopper’s example.”

A traditional supermarket refrigeration system contains about 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of the refrigerant HCFC-22, a chemical compound that harms the ozone layer and contributes to global warming when leaked into the atmosphere. The new technology condenses CO2 using R-404A, a refrigerant that EPA has found acceptable as a substitute for ozone depleting substances.

R-404A is a hydroflurorocarbon blend that does not harm the ozone layer, and its flammability and toxicity risks are low. An added benefit is the lower cost of refrigerant—CO2 is dramatically less expensive than hydrofluorocarbon blends.

This revolutionary refrigeration system significantly reduces the amount of refrigerant used by the refrigeration system, which reduces the supermarket’s impact on the environment. The new system also reduces leaks into the atmosphere of refrigerant by about 97.5%. These reductions are equal to removing over 160 cars from the road annually, or eliminating the electricity of almost 120 homes for one year.

As a member of EPA’s GreenChill Program, Price Chopper aims to promote advanced technologies, strategies, and practices that reduce refrigerant charges and emissions of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases. GreenChill also helps save participants money. To date, estimated savings in operating costs for members equals almost $13 million.

Price Chopper will monitor the efficiency of its new refrigerating system over the next few months. If the system proves as effective as projected, the company plans to use this technology in various other locations.

For more information on EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, visit our website at https://www.epa.gov/greenchill.