Earth-friendly glycol helps
Wegmans stores keep their cool

Every new Wegmans Food Market and more than a third of the chain's 71 stores uses environmentally-friendly glycol in coolers. This helps reduce the stores' carbon footprints, while protecting the ozone layer.

The non-polluting secondary refrigerant is food-grade glycol, and Wegmans has been the supermarket industry's leader in expanding its use in refrigeration systems since the company introduced it in their Pittsford store more than 10 years ago.

Carol Duquette, VP of Design Services and Maintenance, said, 'Over one year's time, at a single store, using glycol instead of R-404a (an industry standard) eliminates 2376 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions sent into the atmosphere, the equivalent of: Removing 435 cars from roadways AND Removing the power draw of 315 homes from the electrical grid.'

Traditionally, R-404a circulates through pipes to medium temperature cases (such as the dairy case) throughout the store. However in this updated system, R-404a is used only in compressors on the rooftop of the store and non-toxic glycol circulates throughout the piping in the store.

The stores use less refrigerant and there are fewer opportunities for leaks. Wegmans' use of glycol came about when the company was searching for a coolant that was better for the environment than CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) or HCFC (hydrochlorofluorcarbons). Using glycol dramatically reduces the need to rely on these.

By switching to a glycol/R-404a system, there is significantly less negative impact on the ozone layer. It is non-toxic and safe to use in confined areas (walk-in coolers). It has the greatest effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions of all Wegmans environmental initiatives, because it reduces use of standard refrigerants (CFCs and HCFCs).

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