Two supermarket chains have announced recent environmental-related developments regarding a newer refrigerant and energy efficiencies.

SPROUTS

Sprouts Farmers Market will use HFC-407F in all new and retrofit refrigeration applications at its stores, according to a statement from Honeywell.

The refrigerant, which Honeywell brands as Genetron Performax LT, is specifically designed to replace HCFC-22 that is being phased out under the Montreal Protocol. According to the manufacturer, R-407F provides similar performance to R-22, requires fewer equipment modifications, and offers improved energy efficiency.

Said Frank Davis, refrigeration energy manager at Sprouts Farmers Market in Phoenix, Ariz., “We have been using Performax LT in retrofits, and it is helping us to achieve our supermarket’s energy efficiency goals. We are seeking every possible way to lower the impact of our stores on the environment, and this refrigerant is perfect for our new store model as well.”

David Diggs, global business director for the refrigerants business of Honeywell Fluorine Products, said, “Over the next several years, Honeywell and Sprouts will work closely to ensure Performax LT is helping them achieve their supermarkets’ refrigeration objectives. At the same time, we look forward to working with other customers to demonstrate how Performax LT can help them meet regulatory requirements in a cost-effective manner.”

Sprouts Farmers Market, an Arizona-based company founded in 2002, operates more than 50 stores in Arizona, California, Texas, and Colorado.

Performax LT, which is manufactured at Honeywell’s refrigerant facility in Louisiana, is available through Honeywell Genetron wholesale suppliers. For more information, go to www.genetronperformaxlt.com.

FRESH AND EASY

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has added four more GreenChill certified stores, including a Gold-certified store in Oceanside, Calif. GreenChill certification is awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Partnership for stores meeting benchmarks for cutting emissions.

Fresh & Easy opened its first GreenChill certified store in September 2010, and at the time of the issuance of a Fresh & Easy press release in early 2011, had a total of eight stores currently certified through the program.

According to the release, the company stresses energy efficiency including:

• Energy-efficient doors on freezer and dairy cases;

• Triple-pane glass with an anti-fog coating on refrigerator doors, eliminating the need for door heaters;

• Night curtains on refrigerators to conserve energy while keeping product at the appropriate temperature when stores are closed; and

• LED lighting in all chilled cases.

Fresh & Easy also uses LED lighting in external signs and offers customer recycling in every store. The company also recycles or reuses all of its display packaging, sending the majority back to its distribution center’s on-site recycling facility.

In addition, the company has joined the California Climate Action Registry and The Climate Registry to disclose its greenhouse gas emissions. At its distribution center in Riverside, Calif., the company invested $13 million in a solar roof installation, which at 500,000 square feet is one of California’s largest.

“We’ve worked hard to be thoughtful in the impact we have on the environment and we’re excited to continue to innovate in this area,” said Fresh & Easy CEO Tim Mason.

“On average, our stores use 30 percent less energy than a typical supermarket, which not only helps the environment, but also keeps our prices low so our customers can continue to save money.”

Fresh & Easy operates more than 160 stores in California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Publication date: 04/04/2011