Stores can receive platinum, gold or silver-level certifications, based on leak and charge levels, as well as the use of low-GWP (under 150) refrigerants for platinum certification. In addition to the DeCicco’s store, 10 other US supermarkets have platinum certification, including a Food Lion outlet in Southport, N.C., that was recognised last month.
The Larchmont store, which opened in December 2015, uses a CO2-only Advansor booster system from Hillphoenix. DeCicco & Sons is one of only a handful of small, independent grocers in North America willing to invest in this technology.
Unlike some other retailers that are installing transcritical systems, DeCicco & Sons decided to invest in two Trillium adiabatic gas coolers (from Baltimore Aircoil) instead of a conventional condenser. The units will help keep the system from going into less efficient supercritical mode when ambient temperatures exceed 88 °F, CO2’s critical point.
Heat reclaimed from the transcritical system will be used for about 50% to 60% of the store’s heating and hot water needs; the store’s HVAC system will make up the rest.
John DeCicco, Jr., the grocery firm’s president, said he is happy with the CO2 system. “The temperature control, strength of the cold, and product longevity are unmatched compared to any other refrigerant,” he said. “The efficiency of the system – in terms of the reduced electrical load and the quality and quantity of the waste heat – is a great asset to help reduce the store’s overall energy use.”
DeCicco & Sons plans to install the transcritical system in a store planned for Somers, N.Y., and in an existing store in Pelham, N.Y.
