California manufacturer Energy Recovery and Vallarta Supermarkets announced that they are planning to install Energy Recovery’s PX G1300 pressure exchanger device at a second Vallarta store, located in Salinas, California, following the initial implementation of the device at a store in Indio, California.
The PX G1300 unit became operational at the Indio store on November 4, 2022, and was found to improve energy efficiency by 30% compared to the legacy transcritical CO2 system, which includes an adiabatic cooler, in temperatures between 95°–105°F (35°–41°C).
The installation and performance of the device at the Indio store were described by KC Chen, Vice President of CO2 at Energy Recovery, along with Steven Goh, Director of Energy Management and Sustainability for Vallarta Supermarkets, in an end user presentation at the ATMOsphere America Summit 2023, held June 12–13 in Washington, D.C.
“We are thrilled with the results we have seen in our Indio store,” said Sandie Nunez, Vallarta Store Development Manager. “We are continually looking for ways to reduce our energy consumption and emissions as part of our sustainability goals.” Founded in 1985, Vallarta Supermarkets is a full-service independent grocery chain with 53 locations throughout California.
Vallarta is upgrading its Salinas CO2 system with the PX G1300 to provide a “safeguard against increasingly frequent heat waves and reduce energy costs,” said the companies in the announcement.
“The PX G1300 has made our CO2 refrigeration system more cost-effective and energy efficient, reducing our emissions while mitigating the impact of summer heat waves,” said Goh.
Recycling energy
The PX G1300 recycles pressure energy and redistributes it throughout the system to save energy, lower costs, and reduce waste and emissions, said Energy Recovery. Upgrading CO2 systems with the PX G1300 can increase design temperature by up to 11°F (6.1°C), enabling supermarkets to increase system stability during high heat events, the company added.
“Our continued partnership with Vallarta Supermarkets underscores the value of the PX G1300 to supermarkets, and particularly its strong performance in high temperatures,” said Chen. “Indio is in the desert of Southern California, where the average summer temperature is above 100°F [38°C]. With the PX G1300, 111°F [44°C] will feel like 100° F to a CO2 system – a meaningful difference that allows supermarkets to stay open during a heat wave without breaking the bank on energy costs and maintenance.”
Headquartered in San Leandro, California, Energy Recovery “turned an invention for desalination into a global business to accelerate environmental sustainability operations in multiple industries,” according to the company website. The company’s PX G1300 pressure exchanger was awarded Innovation of the Year 2023 at the ATMOsphere America Summit 2023 based on HVAC&R industry voting.
“The PX G1300 has made our CO2 refrigeration system more cost-effective and energy efficient, reducing our emissions while mitigating the impact of summer heat waves.”
Steven Goh, Director of Energy Management and Sustainability for Vallarta Supermarkets
