Progress Report

2011

GREENCHILL

A PARTNERSHIP AT WORK
II Cool! Technology epa.gov/greenchill

“GreenChill is the ‘coolest’ program 

we have at EPA; the partnership 

has made refrigerant leaks an 

environmental and financial priority 

in the supermarket industry.”

Gina McCarthy

Assistant Administrator

EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation

“GreenChill is about more than just 

reducing refrigerant emissions; 

it is about preserving the ozone 

layer, preventing skin cancer, and 

ultimately saving lives.” 

Sarah Dunham

Director

EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs
epa.gov/greenchill Reduce Leaks, Reduce Charge, Reduce ODS 1

Commercial refrigeration systems typically used in supermarkets leak harmful refrigerants into the 

atmosphere. Leaked refrigerants deplete the Earth’s ozone layer and contribute to climate change.* 

In fact, a typical store’s refrigerant leaks have a greater effect on climate than the store’s entire annual 

electricity consumption. 

Partners in Progress

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through GreenChill, works to reduce refrigerant 

emissions from supermarkets and decrease the industry’s impact on the ozone layer and climate 

change. The goals of the GreenChill Partnership are to provide supermarkets and other industry 

stakeholders with information and assistance to:

•	 Transition to environmentally friendlier refrigerants;

•	 Reduce the amount of refrigerant used by stores and eliminate leaks; and

•	 Adopt green refrigeration technologies and environmental best practices.

If supermarkets nationwide reduced the amount of refrigerant they leak to the current GreenChill 

Partner average, they could generate annual cost savings of over $100 million across the industry 

while preventing the annual emission of about 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent 

(MMTCO2e) and 240 ozone depletion potential (ODP) tons.** 

GreenChill participants voluntarily go above and beyond regulatory requirements to reduce their 

harmful refrigerant emissions. Partners have already achieved impressive environmental results.

GreenChill: Putting Refrigerant Emissions on Ice 

GreenChill Partner stores emit less refrigerant that is harmful to the ozone layer and climate, as compared to typical stores. Shown in 

ODP metric tons (ozone layer impact) and MMTCO2e (climate impact). ODS: ozone-depleting substances. HFCs: hydrofluorocarbons.

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

ODP Metric Tons 45 45 49 49 64

MMTCO2

e (ODS & HFCs) 2.99 3.32 3.76 4.00 6.21

MMTCO2e (HFCs only) 1.53 1.85 2.15 2.38 4.12

GreenChill Partnership Annual Emissions Avoided

* Certain substances including refrigerants deplete the Earth’s ozone layer, allowing more of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation to 

reach the Earth’s surface. Overexposure to UV radiation can cause skin cancer, cataracts, and immune system suppression. 

** This is the equivalent of taking 4.3 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year.
2 Chillin’ for the Environment epa.gov/greenchill

A Foundation for Success “GreenChill’s accomplishment in creating a 

healthy relationship with EPA is invaluable. We 

are now working together with EPA toward 

common goals.”

Mark Coffin

Vice President of Store Development

SUPERVALU

The 10 original Partners – DuPont, Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Hannaford, Harris Teeter, Hill PHOENIX, Honeywell, Kysor/Warren, Publix 

Super Markets, and Whole Foods Market.

On November 27, 2007, EPA 

representatives and the 10 founding 

Partners celebrated the launch of the 

GreenChill Partnership. The launch event 

recognized Partners for their support 

and commitment to working with EPA to 

reduce their impact on the ozone layer 

and climate change. 

Through collaboration and commitment, 

GreenChill Partners lay the foundation for 

improved environmental performance 

in supermarkets across the country. 

Working voluntarily with EPA, Partners 

discover the motivation, inspiration, and 

creativity that lead to long-term change. 

“I believe collaboration trumps confrontation 

in almost every instance; by taking a realistic 

and collaborative approach, you can lead 

people into new technologies faster than you 

can push them.”

Raymond Hoglund

Former Vice President 

Dover Corporation, parent company of Hill PHOENIX
epa.gov/greenchill Protecting the Ozone Layer 3

GreenChill Partners* 

ACME Markets

Albertsons Intermountain 

West

Arkema

ARNEG

Bel Air Markets

BJ’s Wholesale Club 

Bloom

Bottom Dollar

Buehler’s Fresh Foods

Cub Foods

Dorothy Lane Market

Dow Chemical

Down to Earth

DuPont

Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy

Food Lion

Food Source

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood 

Market

Giant Eagle

Hannaford 

Hanover Co-op Food Stores

Harris Teeter

Harveys

Hill PHOENIX

Honeywell

Hornbacher’s

Hussmann

Hy-Vee

ICOR International

Jewel-Osco

King Kullen

Kysor/Warren

Lucky/Albertsons

Southern California

McQuade’s Marketplace

Mexichem Fluor

National Refrigerants

Nob Hill Foods

Price Chopper 

Publix Super Markets 

Raley’s

Reid’s

Shaw’s/Star Market

Shop ‘n Save, St. Louis

Shoppers Food & Pharmacy

Sprouts Farmers Market

Stater Bros. Supermarkets 

SUPERVALU

Sweetbay

Target

Weis Markets

Whole Foods Market

Wild by Nature

Zero Zone

* Partners listed here reflect the status of GreenChill membership as of December 2011.

GreenChill LinkedIn® Group Members 0

650

Stores in GreenChill Partnership 7,693

3,200

Partners 10

54

Percentage of U.S. Supermarkets 6%

20%

GreenChill Store Certications 0

64

States with GreenChill Partner Stores

(including Washington, DC)

42

51

2007 2011

A Growing Partnership

After just four years, GreenChill Partners make up over 20 percent of the country’s supermarkets, 

representing almost 7,700 stores in all 50 states and Washington, DC.

GreenChill At-A-Glance: A Growing Partnership

Figures listed here reflect the status of GreenChill as of December 2011.
4 Cool! Technology epa.gov/greenchill

Corporate Emissions 

Reduction Program

GreenChill Partners 

measure their corporatewide refrigerant emissions, 

set annual emissions 

reduction goals, and report 

their progress in reducing 

emissions to EPA every year. 

Store Certification 

Program

Individual stores can earn 

GreenChill’s platinum, gold, or 

silver certification by achieving 

specific environmental 

performance criteria. 

Three Programs to Transform an Industry 

Information, incentives, and smart business are GreenChill’s cornerstones. With an 

eye toward reducing harmful refrigerant emissions across the supermarket industry, 

GreenChill focuses on three key programs:
epa.gov/greenchill Reduce Leaks, Reduce Charge, Reduce ODS 5

“ GreenChill is the perfect 

mixture of everything that 

leads to positive change: 

industry and government 

collaboration toward a common 

goal, measurable objectives 

and recognition for achieving 

them, a data driven approach 

to solutions, and the American 

competitive spirit.”

Richard Heath

Director Energy Innovations & Projects

SUPERVALU

Advanced Refrigeration 

Program

GreenChill promotes the 

use of green refrigeration 

technologies and 

environmental best practices 

to aid the industry in reducing 

harmful refrigerant emissions.

“The GreenChill Partnership is monumental; 

it is the glue that holds us together. 

Without GreenChill we are all just 

competitors.”

Wayne Rosa

Energy and Maintenance Manager 

Food Lion
6 Chillin’ for the Environment epa.gov/greenchill

Corporate Emissions Reduction Program

Goals Set, Goals Met

GreenChill’s Supermarket Partners 

set annual refrigerant emissions 

reduction targets and work 

collaboratively to achieve those 

targets. In turn, they are leading 

the industry to a new standard of 

excellence. Tackling emissions as 

a corporate-wide problem enables 

partners to prioritize strategies 

that have benefits across all stores. 

The GreenChill Partners’ collective 

average emissions rate is nearly half 

of the estimated industry average 

rate. 

GreenChill saw a dramatic rise in 

the number of Partner stores from 

2007-2011. At the same time, on 

a store-by-store basis, GreenChill 

Partner stores used and emitted less 

refrigerant over time.

“You need a measuring stick 

to know if you are doing 

well. GreenChill has helped 

us establish a benchmark to 

know what to shoot for.” 

Wayne Rosa

Energy and Maintenance Manager

Food Lion

Partners’ Refrigerant Leak Rates Are Declining 

GreenChill retailer average rate versus the industry average.

Partnership Expansion and Emissions Reduction

Growth in number of Partner stores (+140%) and reduction in average 

annual Partner store emissions (-22%) from 2007 to 2011.

0

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Industry

Average

2007 2008 2009 2010

≈25%

2011

Average Leak Rate

13.71% 13.13% 13.10%

Average Partner Leak Rate

13.49% 12.95%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

Number of Partner Stores (vs. 2007)

Average Refrigerant Emissions per Partner Store (vs. 2007)

Percentage of 2007 Value

78%

240%
epa.gov/greenchill Protecting the Ozone Layer 7

Measuring Progress

“Reporting emissions data 

through GreenChill and 

measuring our success versus 

all the GreenChill benchmarks 

has taught us a lot about our 

company. GreenChill was 

ahead of its time in using 

data to identify solutions to 

an important environmental 

problem. “

Harrison Horning

Director of Energy & Facility Services

Delhaize America, parent company of Hannaford

Partners Shifting Away from R-22

Refrigerant use in GreenChill Partner commercial systems.

Partners Use and Emit Less Refrigerant, 

Decreasing their Climate Impacts

Average refrigerant used and emitted by commercial systems of GreenChill 

Partner stores.

2007 2011

R-22 Other Refrigerants

46.8%

36.4% 53.2%

63.6%

Refrigerant Used Emissions

MTCO2e Emitted per Store

2007 2008 2009 2010

3,254

3,498 3,457 3,495

452 454 448

378

200

300

400

500

600

700

2011

MTCO2e Used Per Store

800

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

2,948

462

GreenChill Partners have continually 

demonstrated their willingness and 

determination to cut refrigerant 

emissions. Their commitment has 

led to tangible cost savings and 

reduced damage to the ozone layer 

and climate. 
8 Cool! Technology epa.gov/greenchill

The GreenChill Store Certification Program 

promotes green refrigeration technology 

by recognizing individual stores for using 

environmentally friendly commercial 

refrigeration systems. GreenChill Certification 

has become a well-known indicator of 

environmental performance and commitment in 

the supermarket industry.

Store Certification Program

Leading through Design 

“GreenChill has strongly influenced the 

way Sprouts Farmers Market designs 

new stores. Our goal is to obtain a 

GreenChill certification award for every 

new store. We’ve lowered leak rates and 

reduced maintenance costs through new 

construction specifications based on 

GreenChill standards.”

Jerry Stutler

Vice President of Construction and Facility Engineering 

Sprouts Farmers Market

GreenChill Partner Sprouts Farmers Market opening a newly 

GreenChill certified store in San Diego, California.

GreenChill Certified Stores Use Less Refrigerant

Amount of refrigerant used in stores for each certification 

level versus the industry average, up to December 2011.

Store Certification Program Growth

0

10

20

30

40

50

2008 2009 2010 2011

Gold

60

70

Silver Platinum

1

25

40

64

Certicates Awarded

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

Industry Silver Gold

Lbs. per Store

Platinum

≈3,500

1,028

264

1,325
epa.gov/greenchill Reduce Leaks, Reduce Charge, Reduce ODS 9

Supervalu, the parent company of Star Market, owns and operates 

the country’s first platinum level certified store in Chestnut Hill, 

Massachusetts. 

GreenChill Store Certification: 

•	 Honors individual stores and their 

employees for decreasing the 

environmental impact of refrigerants.

•	 Boosts management and staff dedication 

to and motivation for corporate 

sustainability.

•	 Affirms the company’s refrigerant 

emissions reduction efforts.

•	 Distinguishes the store in a competitive 

marketplace. 

•	 Offers opportunities for positive 

positioning through influential media 

coverage.

•	 Encourages leak prevention rather than 

leak repair.

•	 Brings the contributions of refrigerant 

management personnel to the attention 

of corporate officers.

Achieving Success from the Ground Up 

2009 Price Chopper store opening in Colonie, New York. In 

2010, this store received platinum level certification.

“GreenChill certification sparked friendly 

competition between our regions, raising 

the bar across the company. The regions 

encourage each other to achieve tough 

emissions and charge size standards in stores.”

Kathy Loftus

Global Leader, Sustainable Engineering, Maintenance & Energy Management 

Whole Foods Market

GreenChill Certified Stores Leak Less Refrigerant

Average amount of refrigerant leaked in stores of each 

certification level versus industry average, up to December 2011. 

Based on stores with at least 12 months of leak data.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Leak Rate

Industry Silver

3.8%

Gold

0.5%

Platinum

0.0%

≈25%
10 Chillin’ for the Environment epa.gov/greenchill

GreenChill promotes the use of 

green refrigeration technologies and 

environmental best practices to aid 

the industry in reducing refrigerant 

emissions.

Green Refrigeration Technologies

Green refrigeration technologies are 

designed to reduce the two contributing 

factors to a store’s emissions rate: the 

amount of refrigerant used, and the 

number and size of leaks.

Advanced Refrigeration Program

New Approaches, Superior Results

Price Chopper’s Benny Smith with compact chiller units in the 

company’s store in Colonie, New York.

Green Refrigeration Technologies Leak Less Than

Traditional Technologies

Leak rates reported are for stores that have been operational for at 

least one year. SLS: secondary loop system. DX: direct expansion.

“GreenChill has had a major role 

in creating momentum behind 

green refrigeration technologies. 

The Partnership’s passion for 

changing the retail food industry 

is contagious. We have had more 

interest in greener systems from 

customers than ever before.”

Travis Lumpkin

Director Sustainability Senior Product Leader

Hussmann Corporation 

“Since the launch of GreenChill, 

people are arguing there is no 

acceptable leak rate. That’s an 

exciting change.”

Scott Martin

Director, Sustainable Technologies 

Hill PHOENIX

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Leak Rate

Advanced DX

3.5%

Distributed

2.1%

SLS/DX

SLS/Distributed

System Type

CO2 SLS

0.2% N/A

Hybrid CO2 

0.0% 0.0%

Compact Chiller

Industry

6.4%

3.5%

CO2 Cascade

≈25%
epa.gov/greenchill Protecting the Ozone Layer 11

Creating a Competitive Advantage

GreenChill refrigeration fundamentally shifts a supermarket’s approach to refrigeration management 

from leak repair to leak prevention. Companies set excellence as the baseline and continued 

performance as the target. 

GreenChill Environmental Best Practice Guidelines

Green refrigeration practices are procedures or maintenance practices that go above and beyond the 

industry norm to achieve a higher standard of system leak tightness. Best practices and guidelines 

are available at www.epa.gov/greenchill/ptnrresources.html. 

GreenChill Tools

GreenChill provides tools that help identify, prevent, and solve everyday operational problems that 

go hand-in-hand with refrigeration management. Information-sharing forums like GreenChill webinars 

and roundtables help stakeholders stay up to date on best practices. More on GreenChill’s monthly 

webinars can be found at: www.epa.gov/greenchill/events.html. GreenChill also develops tools to help 

stakeholders better understand the environmental impact of the refrigerants they use. The GreenChill 

Financial Impact Calculator is one example of this.

“There’s a financial 

incentive built 

into having 

low leak rates, 

improving the 

robustness of 

your system, and 

making a system 

that doesn’t need 

to be serviced as 

often.”

Sam Cantrell

Former Mechanical Engineer 

Raley’s

GreenChill Financial Impact Calculator: 

 http://www.epa.gov/greenchill/downloads/FinancialImpactCalculator.xls.
12 Cool! Technology epa.gov/greenchill

Chemical 

Manufacturers

Food Retailers

Advanced Refrigeration 

Systems Manufacturers

Designers

Environmental Regulators Environmental NGOs

Data Systems Providers

Service Technician Certification Trade Organizations

Organizations

Store Architects and

Current Partner Categories 

Service 

Contractors and 

Technicians

Component 

Manufacturers

Join GreenChill

Food retailers, green refrigeration systems 

manufacturers, and retrofit chemical 

manufacturers across the country are 

showing their commitment to environmental 

stewardship by joining GreenChill. Some of the 

numerous benefits Partners have identified 

include:

Improved Operations – Tools like the GreenChill 

Best Practices Guideline: Ensuring Leak-Tight 

Installations of Commercial Refrigeration 

Equipment help Partners identify refrigerant 

leaks and save money on repairs and refrigerant.

Peer-to-Peer Communication – Partners 

collaborate and network through various 

GreenChill forums to solve common problems.

Recognition for Achievements – GreenChill 

recognizes Partners’ exemplary efforts to go 

above and beyond regulatory requirements.

GreenChill’s Stakeholders

Partner Cooperation to Drive Industry 

Progress – Partners collaborate to constantly 

innovate, design, and push the boundaries of 

technology and best practices. 

Support with Public Relations – Partners 

gain access to resources that help them 

communicate their environmental 

achievements to wider audiences, which can 

help attract new customers.

Benchmarking – Partners receive annual 

performance reports from GreenChill that 

evaluate their company’s performance versus 

competitors and benchmarks .

Assistance in Changing Mindsets – 

GreenChill provides Partners with tools 

that help communicate the financial and 

environmental benefits of green technologies 

and environmental best practices within their 

companies.

GreenChill recognizes the 

important contributions 

all stakeholders make 

to reduce refrigerant 

emissions. We welcome 

their support and are 

pleased to know that these 

stakeholders are working 

with our Partners to 

achieve success.
epa.gov/greenchill Reduce Leaks, Reduce Charge, Reduce ODS 13

Connect with GreenChill 

Visit the GreenChill Web Site 

Find Partnership news, tips, resources, and more at 

www.epa.gov/greenchill.

Participate in GreenChill Events

See a schedule of upcoming events and browse the 

past events archives at

www.epa.gov/greenchill/events.html. 

Join the GreenChill LinkedIn® Group 

GreenChill LinkedIn® Group membership is open 

to anyone affiliated with the retail food industry or 

relevant sustainability initiatives. Members share 

their expertise, network with industry colleagues, 

and learn the latest about GreenChill activities at 

http://tinyurl.com/greenchill. 

Follow GreenChill on Twitter

Receive the latest GreenChill news and information 

at http://twitter.com/EPAgreenchill.

Contact GreenChill

For questions and answers regarding the GreenChill 

Partnership, please contact:

Keilly Witman, Program Manager, GreenChill 

e-mail: witman.keilly@epa.gov

“GreenChill has proven time and 

again that supermarkets can achieve 

what was thought to be impossible 

just three years ago. When you ask 

GreenChill Partners how they did it, 

the answer boils down to ‘we tried’!”

Keilly Witman

Program Manager

EPA’s GreenChill Partnership
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Stratospheric Protection Division

EPA-430/R-12-005

http://www.epa.gov/greenchill

September 2012

Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable paper with a minimum 50% post-consumer waste using vegetable-based inks.