Aldi becomes latest retailer to receive GreenChill Platinum Certification

Two Aldi stores have been granted GreenChill Platinum Certification in the upstate NY communities of Webster and West Carthage respectively – becoming the 11th and 12th to receive the honour, thanks to their CO₂ transcritical booster systems manufactured by Hillphoenix.

Natural refrigerants help Aldi win recognition

With so few stores in the United States boasting Platinum Certification, clearly the criteria are strict. GreenChill platinum-certified stores, among other requirements, must reduce a supermarket’s typical emissions of 1,000 pounds by 95%. The global warming potential (GWP) of CO₂ is negligible, allowing the two Aldi stores to meet the target and receive their certifications.

Certifications likely to mount as natural refrigerant take-up grows

Aldi joins the ranks of eight other retailers including Sprouts, Piggly Wiggly, Whole Foods, Hannaford and Roundy’s in possession of Platinum Certification. The number of retailers receiving the award – which recognises efforts to reduce a store’s environmental impact – is a sure sign that both awareness and deployment of natural refrigerant-based technology is on the rise in the United States.

This increased of natural refrigerants in CO₂ transcritical installations is reflected in the figure above, with the number of transcritical stores in the US having soared from just two in 2013 to 52 by 2015. With supermarkets such as Roundy’s having pledged to introduce more CO₂ transcritical stores in the coming years, this number is expected to increase further.

Aldi, meanwhile, is well aware of the advantages of harnessing natural refrigerant technology. The supermarket giant has partnered with Hillphoenix to tap into NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) rebates for a multi-store natural refrigerant project – and is also reaping the benefits of a similar scheme in California.

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