SUSTAINABILITY IN C-STORES: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
by 250 kilowatts of canopy-mounted solar panels to generate renewable power, bp said In 2023, Wawa reported 115 of its more than 1,000 locations were using solar power, with plans to expand that by nearly 40 stores in 2024. Solar panels, the retailer said in its Social Purpose Report, contribute 2% of renewable energy sources to power the stores. Renewable energy in the form of solar power has been a major area of investment for Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s in recent years. The retailer operates a 250,000-square-foot distribution center in Joplin, Missouri, that features 1,408 solar panels, generating an average of nearly 1,700 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day in 2024. “This energy output supports the refrigeration needs of the facility, which account for most of its electrical load, reducing the amount of purchased electricity needed from the grid and, ultimately, our Scope 2 GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions,” Casey’s said in its 2024 Sustainability Report. Forty-five Casey’s stores also participate in community solar gardens, with the retailer committing to purchase solar- and wind-generated energy from the gardens to support 25% to 100% of the energy usage for the participating locations. In 2023, Casey’s began installing solar panels on its refrigerated trailers. By the end of fiscal 2024, the retailer had completed installations on 82 trailers, with 133 more in the pipeline. “Solar panels will be standard on all new trailers,” Casey’s said.
sustainability initiatives. Commonly used in commercial refrigeration, Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants (HFCs) are powerful greenhouse gases that trap thousands of times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide and are growing faster than any other greenhouse gas on the planet, according to the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council. Certainly, the grocery industry is moving quickly toward more sustainable refrigeration. But a new report from the green group Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) shows that while grocers are making an effort to address refrigerant emissions in the United States, little has been done in terms of actual results. The EIA’s bi-annual Climate- Friendly Supermarkets Scorecard shows that of the 16 companies graded on technology adoption, refrigerant management and policy and commitments, only three—Aldi, Target, and Whole Foods—were given passing scores. While there is still much to be done, tackling HFCs is an important strategy as the convenience-store industry as a whole takes steps toward reducing its carbon footprint. The following sections speak to both the current status of HFC reduction in foodservice retail, and also new products that are being developed that can help in that mitigation. NEW PRODUCTS ADDRESS OLD ISSUES JSI Store Fixtures, an LSI Industries Inc. company, recently released a new refrigerated retail display that uses propane as an environmentally sustainable alternative to typical refrigeration systems. The eco-friendly R290 refrigerant is a non-toxic, zero ozone-depleting refrigerant, and has a global warming potential (GWP) of 3, the Cincinnati- based company said. That’s compared to the more commonly used hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant, which has a GWP of 1,400, JSI said. “Interest in this product is very high, and we anticipate continued adoption of this solution as customers witness
ADDRESSING REFRIGERANT EMISSIONS IN FOOD RETAIL
Driven by new sustainability goals and evolving cooling technology, grocery and convenience retailers are reimagining their strategy behind refrigeration, investing in and implementing refrigerants with lower global warming potential (GWP). The overhauling of commercial and industrial refrigeration equipment has become a focal point as operators stand up more aggressive corporate
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