Long Island-based grocer King Kullen is tapping new technology for refrigeration systems to stay ahead of upcoming Environmental Protection Agency regulatory changes, according to a Wednesday emailed press release.
The regional grocer has partnered with facility management solutions company Facilio to implement the Connected Retail software platform and automate its refrigeration compliance management. The refrigerant compliance solution platform allows for “end-to-end management of multi-site food-retail operations” and works in tandem with remote monitoring capabilities, per the announcement.
The deal comes as grocers face a looming EPA deadline to end the production and importation of hydrofluorocarbons — which are widely used in commercial refrigerants — by 85% by 2036. The AIM Act, which restricts the use of HFCs, is slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027, giving grocers just a few more years to come into compliance.
Beyond regulatory compliance, the technology partnership will also help King Kullen further its work as part of EPA’s GreenChill program, a voluntary initiative that collaborates with the food retail industry to lower refrigerant emissions.
The grocer is already seeing value from this tech deployment and partnership, Stanley Mitchell, King Kullen’s vice president of engineering, construction and maintenance, said in a statement.
“With Facilio, we now have full visibility across store assets, and the real-time alerts help us stay on top of events to mitigate any potential compliance risks. The reporting & analytics part of the platform gives us the data-driven insights we need to take prompt action,” Mitchell said, noting that the grocer’s compliance processes are all now fully automated.
In recent years, a number of grocers have focused on their refrigeration systems to improve their sustainability impact. For example, Lunds & Byerlys, an upscale Twin Cities grocery chain, also partnered with Facilio in late September to digitize its refrigeration compliance management and store facilities operations.
At the start of last year, Aldi announced plans to buy environmentally friendly refrigerants for all of its new and remodeled stores. It will also replace older refrigerants with ones with low global warming potential at existing stores.
