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Certification Center

link to GreenChill

GreenChill's Certification Program for Food Retail Stores is a GreenChill program to recognize individual stores for using environmentally friendlier commercial refrigeration systems. There are two levels of certification that a store can achieve: gold and silver. Please read the Certification Standards, which give details on the different criteria that a store needs to meet in order to achieve either gold or silver certification, and the Guidance on Meeting the Certification Criteria, which gives details on what is included in each criterion and how we calculate the criteria measurements. Then, fill out the certification form for a newly constructed store (if the store is not yet operational, or if it has been operational for less than 6 months) or for a fully operational store (if the store has been in operation for at least 12 months). If the store has been in operation for 6-12 months, please contact GreenChill to determine which form needs to be filled out (Keilly Witman: 202-343-9742).

GreenChill Certification Standards for Food Retail Stores Using Green Refrigeration

To qualify for GreenChill's Gold-Level Store Certification, a store must meet the requirements under either A or B:

  1. HFC-Based Refrigeration Systems (see our guidance material for more info on each of these criteria)
    • The store must only use refrigerants with zero ozone-depleting potential;
    • The store must only use refrigerants that have been found acceptable by EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy Program (SNAP) for use in retail food refrigeration end-uses;
    • The store must achieve an average HFC refrigerant charge equal to or less than 1.25 lbs. of refrigerant per 1000 BTU/hr. total evaporator cooling load; and
    • The store must achieve a store-wide annual refrigerant emissions rate of 15% or less.

      OR

  2. Refrigeration Systems using Low-GWP Refrigerants (see our guidance material for more info on each of these criteria)
    • The store must only use refrigerants with zero ozone-depleting potential;
    • The store must only use refrigerants that have been found acceptable by EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy Program (SNAP) for use in retail food refrigeration end-uses; and
    • All refrigerants used in the store must have global warming potentials (GWP) lower than 150.

To qualify for GreenChill's Silver-Level Store Certification, a store must meet the following requirements (see our guidance material for more info on each of these criteria)

Guidance for GreenChill Certification Standards

Guidance on Meeting the Certification Criteria:

  1. The certification criteria each apply to and include different refrigerant-containing equipment.  For instance, the refrigerant charge criterion, the pounds of refrigerant per 1000 BTUs per hour calculation, only considers a store's commercial refrigeration system; it does not apply to the store's HVAC system (split systems or self contained) or self contained commercial refrigeration equipment. See the table below to reference the types of equipment included in the various criteria and calculations.

    2. Certification Criteria BTU/Hr evaporator heat load Refrigerant emissions rate Refrigerant Stock Non-ozone-depleting Refrigerant Snap approved refrigerant
    Included equipment
    Self contained commercial refrigeration equipment
    no
    yes
    yes
    yes
    yes
    Remote commercial refrigeration equipment
    yes
    yes
    yes
    yes
    yes
    HVAC Equipment
    no
    no
    no
    yes
    yes

  2. For the list of acceptable SNAP alternatives for retail food refrigeration see http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/refrigerants/lists/foodref.html

  3. The lbs. of refrigerant per 1000 BTU/hr. criteria is based upon adding the store's total remote commercial refrigeration evaporator heat load, including food merchandisers, food prep rooms, and food storage rooms. Do not include subcooling, and do not include pump heat. Do not include HVAC or self-contained commercial refrigeration equipment.
    Note: This is not the rack rating or compressor capacity, which is typically larger than the calculated load.

  4. Each and every store applying for GreenChill certification must achieve an annual emissions rate of no more than 15%. The amount of refrigerant emitted over the period of one year is equal to the amount of refrigerant lost from the store's commercial refrigeration equipment and systems. Do not include HVAC in the emissions or the refrigerant stock. The emissions rate is calculated as follows: (amount of refrigerant emitted over the period of one year ÷ the refrigerant stock) x 100 = % annual emissions rate

Guidance on the Certification Program:

  1. GreenChill certification may be re-earned annually, as long as a store meets the certification criteria on an annual basis.  A store that achieves certification for several years may receive “continued excellence” awards.

  2. A store that is unable to achieve the certification criteria in a particular year will lose its certification for that year.  If that store is able to meet the certification criteria in a subsequent year, it will be re-certified for that year and each of the following years that it is able to meet the criteria.

  3. GreenChill reserves the right to verify the information submitted by a store for certification, including, but not limited to, inspection of the store, requesting third party certification, and/or requesting copies of store records related to the certification criteria.

Certification Program Forms:

Certification Program Achievements

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