44 // End User Aaron Sumida ALDI US VP Photography by Ben Cleeton.
ALDI US has not set a deadline to fully commit to CO 2 transcritical refrigeration systems, but “it’s our long-term objective to standardise,” said Sumida. With about 800 new ALDI stores to open in the U.S. by 2022, each of the company’s 24 divisions will begin to phase in CO 2 transcritical systems – including the 18 not currently committed to it – “to ensure preparedness by the refrigeration installers and technicians,” he added. Why did ALDI US choose to install transcritical systems? “We genuinely believe that natural refrigerants are the best long-term solution,” said Sumida. While ALDI US operates independently, it has also followed the example of ALDI South stores in Europe. In February 2017, ALDI South made public that the company had installed its 1,000th store with a CO 2 system, representing 54% of its outlets; the UK division of ALDI South has also announced that it will convert all its roughly 700 stores to CO 2 , starting with 100 by the end of 2018. “ALDI stores in other countries also use CO 2 systems as a standard and have set a strong precedent in the natural refrigerants category,” Sumida noted. “ALDI in other countries serves as a resource for us. Some of the best examples for many of our environmental tests and initiatives begin with what other ALDI South group countries are doing. This collaboration across countries continues to drive results.”
ALDI’S PRIMARY REFRIGERATION SYSTEM The AdvansorFlex – the primary refrigeration system for new and remodelled stores in four of ALDI’s 24 divisions – represents the latest chapter of Hillphoenix’s natural refrigerants journey. A longtime provider of secondary and cascade CO 2 systems, Hillphoenix entered the all-CO 2 transcritical refrigeration category in 2011 with the acquisition of Danish OEM Advansor, a major supplier of transcritical systems to the European marketplace. By 2012, Hillphoenix had begun manufacturing its own Advansor-branded transcritical racks at its Georgia headquarters. By mid-2017, Hillphoenix had installed close to 300 transcritical racks in North America – out of a total of about 410 – the most of any OEM.
Contributing significantly to that growth is the AdvansorFlex, a smaller capacity, less costly (by 20%-30%) version of the original Advansor system, designed for small-format stores (though it can be used in larger formats as well as in multiples). Introduced in December 2015, the AdvansorFlex was specifically designed for the North American marketplace to meet stringent UL/cUL requirements and North American safety codes. Like all transcritical systems, the AdvansorFlex’s efficiency depends on its location; it is up to 18% more efficient than an HFC unit in cooler climates, says Hillphoenix, but its efficiency decreases in warmer climates. However, Hillphoenix has installed AdvansorFlex units with efficiencyimproving adiabatic gas coolers in southern U.S. locations.
AN ENERGY BENEFIT Sumida acknowledged that there is a 20%-30% increase in upfront cost associated with the CO 2 transcritical systems compared to conventional HFC rack systems. However, ALDI anticipates a financial gain over the lifetime of the transcritical system, considering “avoided refrigerant phaseouts and reduced cost of refrigerant,” he said. ALDI shares its environmental accomplishments and progress in an environment section on its corporate responsibility website and on its social media channels. In Platinum-certified stores, said Sumida, “we also proudly display our EPA GreenChill Certification plaque” – representing the firm’s industry-leading investment in transcritical CO 2 refrigeration. MG & AW
Accelerate China // Spring 2018