Canadian Retailer - Store 2013 - 38

STORE 2013 ERA AWARDS

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

REDUCING IMPACT AND COST

Canadian grocer leads industry with
innovative environmental technology
WHEN it comes to efforts aimed at improv- COMPARISON CHART VS HFC SYSTEM
ing environmental performance, few comCO2 Vs.
CO2 Vs.
CO2 Vs.
panies can be mentioned ahead of Sobeys.
Description
Cascade/Glycol Subcritical
Transcritical
Forever making tweaks and changes to its
or HFC System
System
System
distribution and logistics, supply chain and
Initial Cost
20% Higher
20% Higher
Was 10% Higher
Now About Equal
sourcing of products, the Canadian grocer
has always been cognizant of implementing
Installation Cost
10% Higher
0-5% Higher
About Equal
responsible business practices that are in the
Installation Time
7-9 Weeks
7-9 Weeks
6-7 Weeks
long-term best interests of its customers, emRefrigerant Cost
90% CO2
90% CO2
100% CO2
ployees, suppliers and communities.
10% R-507
10% R-507
Continuing on the path that it has set out
GWP
90% 1 GWP*
90% 1 GWP
1 GWP
for itself, Sobeys recently upped its efforts in
10% 3 300 GWP 10% 3 300 GWP
dealing with the growing contribution of reEnergy Cost
10%–15% Higher
0%–5% Higher
5%–8% Higher
frigerants to climate change. The company
Maintenance Cost Higher
Higher
About Equal
undertook a national “Transcritical CO2 Re(Trending Down)
frigeration Systems” initiative to review alternatives to traditional Hydrochlorofluoro- *Global Warming Potential
carbon (HCFC) and Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)
refrigerant systems and further reduce its carbon footprint.
energy consumption by 15–18 per cent and natDue to the newness of the technologies used in this initia- ural gas consumption by 75–85 per cent. These
tive, there were multiple approaches taken and experimented are savings that retailers, or any business for
with by the Sobeys team, some of which were more positive that matter, just can’t argue with.”
than others. Overall, however, the initiative was a huge success,
both environmentally and economically, achieving reductions Homegrown development
in carbon, energy and natural gas consumption.
Not only does this latest advancement in en“Everyone at Sobeys is thrilled with the results of the initiative,” vironmental sustainability continue to position
says David Smith, vice-president of sustainability at Sobeys. “The Sobeys as an industry leader in sustainability, it
reductions that we experienced and the cost savings that were also provides a Canadian economic development
attached were impressive and will only become more advanta- opportunity, by spotlighting made-in-Canada regeous as more systems are installed, contractors are trained and frigeration technology by Quebec-based Carnot,
the global demand increases and drives costs down further.”
generating further business development opportunities for Carnot in Europe and the U.S.
Heat, and cost, reclamation
The Transcritical refrigerant systems were
A critical component of the company’s installation of Tran- originally installed in the company’s Quebec
scritical CO2 refrigerant systems includes adding heat reclam- division between 2009 and 2010. Based on the
ation, which uses the heat generated from the refrigerant unit to success of the systems, in late 2011 Sobeys anheat the store.
nounced that the Transcritical CO2 refrigeraThough the initial capital cost of a Transcritical CO2 refriger- tion systems had become its national standard
ant system is more than traditional HCFC systems, Smith points for new stores and were going to be installed as
out that the reduced operating costs and energy savings enjoyed part of significant retrofits of existing stores.
with the Transcritical system allows the company to receive pay“In 2012, there were 34 Transcritical CO2 reback in less than three years after installation.
frigerant systems in operation across Canada,”
“Compared to traditional HCFC systems, you’re going to save Smith points out. “We’re going to be adding
a lot,” says Smith. “By using the Transcritical systems, each store an additional 22 systems in stores across the
reduces carbon emissions by 62 per cent over the year, reduces country this year.”

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