Raley’s Joins EPA’s GreenChill Partnership

West Sacramento, Calif. Raley’s Family of Fine Stores has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership and voluntarily committed to reducing refrigerant emissions to help fight climate change and protect the Earth’s ozone layer.

“For a number of years, Raley’s has shared the EPA’s commitment to decreasing refrigerant emissions through efficient HVAC systems and proprietary store design,” said Ed Estberg, Raley’s senior director of facilities. “This new partnership demonstrates our commitment to being an environmentally conscious retailer and supports our mission to be good stewards of the Earth.”

EPA’s GreenChill Partnership works with food retailers to promote green technologies, strategies, and practices that protect the stratospheric ozone layer, reduce greenhouse gases, and save money. Under the agreement with the EPA, Raley’s has committed to the following:

• Require all new and remodeled stores to be free of ozone-depleting substances, in advance of the Clean Air Act phase-out requirements;

• Establish an emissions inventory and meet annual emissions reduction targets; and

• Develop a refrigeration-management plan that lists technologies, strategies, and practices used to achieve emissions reductions goals.

According to the EPA, GreenChill partners in the food retail business have refrigerant emissions rates nearly 50% lower than the EPA-estimated industry average.