Thrifty Foods kicks off pilot to upgrade refrigeration systems

To help reach its target of reducing energy consumption by 13 per cent by 2013, Thrifty Foods installed new glass dairy doors at the Cloverdale location, near Victoria, B.C., as part of a pilot project designed to upgrade each store’s refrigeration systems with energy efficient features.

The new dairy case doors at the Cloverdale location will save enough energy (250,000 kilowatts per year) to power 23 homes and reduce the overall CO2 impact on the environment by the equivalent of 1.1 acres of forest.

“As an organization, we are always on the lookout for ways to minimize our impact on the environment,” said Jim Dores, president of Thrifty Foods. “The new doors, alongside last year’s renovations and four new store developments, have saved the equivalent of 6 million kilowatts per year (545 homes) of energy and reduced our carbon emissions by the equivalent of 88 acres of carbon-absorbing forest.”

During the past year, Thrifty Foods emissions-reduction efforts have focused on improving the energy efficiency at all stores, the three food distribution centers, and the 20,000-sq.-ft. food production facility, Thrifty Kitchens.

Sustainable best practices and LEED-inspired features will also be an integral part of the design of the company’s new stores in New Westminster (2011); Maple Ridge and Courtenay (2012); as well as the new 150,000-sq.-ft. distribution centre at the Victoria International Airport (2013).

“Beyond this pilot project, Thrifty Foods has also incorporated other energy efficiency measures into our stores,” said Jerry Wyshnowsky, Thrifty Foods director of energy and environment.”

To date, seventeen stores, with five more planned for 2011, are now able to transfer waste heat from the refrigeration systems to heat water and warm other areas of the building.