BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that more than $581,000 in Commercial Refrigeration Grant Program funding has been awarded to eight retail food businesses and a food bank in Western Massachusetts. 

 

The grant program, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), will support the use of climate-friendly refrigerants in commercial refrigeration equipment.

 

Many commercial refrigeration systems use potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), with global warming potential up to thousands of times that of carbon dioxide (CO2). These harmful refrigerants leak into the atmosphere over time, contributing to climate change.

 

"To meet our climate goals, we need to help our local organizations and businesses transition to more climate-friendly operations," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "This grant program not only puts us on a path of sustainability, but it also expands the market for new clean technologies. We are proud to continue our nation-leading efforts of providing a cleaner and healthier Massachusetts."

 

This grant is the first awarded under MassDEP's Commercial Refrigeration Grant Program. The funding aims to increase the voluntary adoption of low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants in commercial refrigeration equipment and to install permanent refrigerant leak detection systems on existing equipment using high GWP refrigerants. The awarded funding will cover a range of projects, including technology that will retrofit existing stores to use climate-friendly refrigerants.

 

"Commercial refrigeration accounts for a high level of emissions in Massachusetts. It is the largest single contributor of a potent greenhouse gas referred to as HFCs," said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "Because of the climate potency of these particular compounds, these grants will give taxpayers a tremendous return on investment in terms of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions."

 

The Commercial Refrigeration Grant Program awardees are:

 

Fruit Life, Inc. – $200,000 for a new CO2 system at an existing store in Chicopee

 

Souper Sweet Sandwich Shop, Inc. – $18,179 for a propane retrofit and system expansion at an existing store in Springfield

 

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts – $50,000 to switch to a CO2 system in Hadley

 

Big Y Foods, Inc. – $238,507 for five system retrofits for lower GWP refrigerants and improved leak detection in supermarkets in Northampton, Palmer, Springfield (2), and Wilbraham

 

ALDI, Inc. – $75,000 for a new CO2 system at a new store in Northampton

 

All awarded projects are encouraged to share relevant information about the impact and effectiveness of their new low-GWP systems with the retail food industry, refrigeration trade associations, and other interested groups.