AAA Refrigeration Service, a contractor based in Bronx, N.Y., is “pushing people to go CO2,” said Peter Savage, AAA’s project manager, controls division during an interview at the Food Marketing Institute Energy & Store Development Conference in Atlanta, Ga.
“We’re all in for CO2,” he added.
AAA has installed several transcritical CO2 systems to stores operated by DeCicco & Sons in Westchester County, N.Y. The contractor has a new transcritical project with a ShopRite store in Courtand, N.Y. and an upcoming one with DeCicco & Sons in a month, said Savage. In July, AAA installed a transcritical system with an adiabatic system at a new Weis Markets store in Randolph, N.Y
Most of AAA’s transcritical installations include an adiabactic condenser to keep the system out of the transcritical mode. In one case, Savage said, AAA is retrofitting a misting system on a RefPlus gas cooler, which is less expensive that an adiabatic system.
Most of AAA’s installations feature Hillphoenix transcritical systems.
Savage says that AAA is advising retailers that the cost of transcritical CO2 system with an adiabatic condenser, including installation, is a little more than a traditional DX system with display cases that don’t use controllers. But the transcritical cost would be less compared to a DX system with cases that use controllers. All transcritical systems use controllers.
Installation costs for CO2 systems are lower because of small diameter line size, which cuts labor and copper costs, said Savage.
In terms of energy costs, “every single piece of data that John [DeCicco, Jr., president of DeCicco & Sons] shows us has tremendous energy savings,” said Savage.
“Every single piece of data that John [DeCicco, Jr., president of DeCicco & Sons] shows us has tremendous energy savings.”
Peter Savage, AAA Refrigeration Service
Peter Savage, AAA Refrigeration Service
