AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods Market has received the 2015-2016 Best of the Best award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) GreenChill Partnership for using an advanced, more environmentally sustainable refrigeration system at its Dublin, California, store. The award is presented annually to one or more GreenChill-certified stores demonstrating innovation in advanced refrigeration technology.
The GreenChill Partnership works with food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions in order to decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate. Companies receive Annual Achievement Awards for meeting refrigerant emissions rate goals, demonstrating reduced emissions, or achievements within the Store Certification Program. Whole Foods Market stores are among approximately 11,000 GreenChill partner stores throughout the nation.
“The Whole Foods Market store in Dublin, California, is the ‘Best of the Best’ for installing a cutting-edge refrigeration system with the help of a GreenChill partner equipment manufacturer with the aim of being supremely climate-friendly,” said Tom Land, manager of EPA’s GreenChill program. “GreenChill praises Whole Foods Market for its environmental leadership within the supermarket industry as demonstrated through the installation of many innovative refrigeration systems in many stores that are protecting the ozone layer and the Earth’s climate.”
The Dublin store exceeds requirements for efficiency and features an indirect cooling system that greatly reduces dependency on public energy sources. Ninety-nine percent of the store’s lights are high-efficiency LEDs and the refrigeration system runs entirely on natural refrigerants.
“We are proud of our Dublin store and the Northern California regional store development team for their work in implementing refrigerants that don’t harm the ozone layer or contribute to greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kathy Loftus, global leader of sustainable facilities for Whole Foods Market. “What an honor to be recognized for work that furthers our commitment to our core value of supporting our communities and the environment.”
Whole Foods Market received its first GreenChill certification in 2009, after becoming a founding partner of GreenChill in 2007. Most recently, the grocer’s newly opened Santa Clara, California, store received the EPA’s highest award for climate-friendly refrigeration with a Platinum level GreenChill certification. The store’s refrigeration system eliminates all direct greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration by utilizing two natural refrigerants in the system’s cutting-edge design.
For more information on EPA’s GreenChill Partnership, visit www.epa.gov/greenchill.
Publication date: 10/25/2016
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