United States Air and Radiation October 1993 Environmental Protection (6205J) Agency &EPA Stratospheric Ozone Protection Case History

Convenience Store Chain Launches Aggressive CFC

Case Study Wawa

Type of Facility Convenience Store

~ Location CT, DE, MD. NJ. PA , Systems Converted to Wawa, a large chain of Henry Anderson, one of the five Alternative Refrigerants convenience stores, continues to Regional Facilities Managers for the in a Typical Wawa Store demonstrate a proactive stance towards chain, elaborated: "Back in 1988, we the CFC phaseout. The chain is now in quit purchasing CFC-12 mediub the fifth year of its phaseout program temperature equipment and began 8' Open Dairy Case and has progressed past the stage of buying HCFC-22 equipment instead. testing non-CFC refrigerants. Wawa has We also began to convert some of our * 8' Produce Case begun to accelerate the elimination of R-502 systems to HCFC-22." The CFCs in its stores and has targeted company installed its first new HFC- * Walk-ln Cooler 1995 as the year that it will have all 512 134a system in November 1992. Soon of its stores totally CFC-free. thereafter, the company began testing Sandwich Station the HCFC-based blends. So far, 70 Fred Wood, Corporate Facilities conversions have been done, mostly in DeliCase and Energy Manager at Wawa. Mr. Anderson's region since it is the explained his philosophy this way: closest to corporate headquarters in "Most convenience stores are still Philadelphia, where Mr. Wood, can waiting for the government to regulate monitor the progress more closely. that requires a compressor change: use of CFCs before they begin taking CFC-12 systems are to be converted to steps to get out. What they don't realize "All the conversions turned out HFC-134a and R-502 systems are to is that regulations already exist that qute well, with the systems running be converted to HCFC-22." said control the production of CFCs. normally or even a little better than Mr. Wood. The chain has tested many Regulations that affect the use of these before. Our maintenance contractors of the altemative refrigerants, and even refrigerants are unnecessary. At any have really learned a lot about the new has one store with equipment contain- rate, soon there just won't be any CFCs refrigerants. At present, they now have ing MP-39. MP-66, HP-80, HCFC-22 around to regulate. I saw this coming standing orders to convert any system and HFC-134a. about five years ago and immediately instructed my regional managers to begin getting experience with the new from CFC-12 to HFC434a refrigerants." He feels that his two biggest hurdles, (1) convincing corpo- rate executives that there is a concern Quantityof HFC-134a Required 60 pounds with continuing CFC use and (2) testing the new refrigerants, are already out of Number of Existing CFC-I2 Systems 5 the way. \ Range of Equipment Size I lK3LHfJI One of the maintenance con- Use of Maintenance Contractors managers have decided to request tractors for Wawa remarked, "The new funding for a two-year CFC phaseout polyol ester lubricants are expensive, Wawa has changed the way it program, with half of the money to be but you really get what you pay for. maintains its stores. Mr. Wood disbursed in 1994 and half in 1995. Equipment charged with these elaborated: "Four years ago we used to "Since we also plan to remodel 70 of lubricants runs substantially more have 11 districts, each operating its own our stores in the next two years, we quietly and has no oil return problems to in-house maintenance department. thought that it would be a good idea to speak of. In fact, when we changed the This configuration proved to be very combine the remodeling and CFC oil in one of the CFC-12 systems during wasteful and inefficient. Now we elimination projects to save money." an HFC-134a conversion to polyol operate under only five districts, and said Mr. Wood. ester, we were able to, remove 10 leave the maintenance to local ounces more lubricant in the second oil maintenance contractors. We want to Attitude Adjustments change than in the first oil change. This focus on selling food, and that's why indicated to me that the new lubricant Mr. Wood said that he is constantly returned to the compressor better than surprised at what he perceives to be the original mineral oil, and actually Wawa's Typical lackadaisical attitudes on the part of other convenience store corporate flushed out old oil that was trapped Conversion Costs somewhere in the system." managers at the national convenience CFC-12 9 HFC-134a store association conferences. His The contractor went on to say that advice to convenience store owners: during a pilot conversion of one of the Labor "Educate yourself about the issue freezer systems from R-502 to HP.32, before it's too late, and begin to act the decrease in the electrical current soon." that the compressor drew was sub- Lubricant stantial, on the order of 20 percent. Parts This reduction in operating current also Wdh very limited exceptions, CFC applied in the CFC-12 to HFC-134a Total $2.000 production and importation wiii cease in conversions: "Essentially, across the the US.at the end of 1995. It is EPA's board we noticed a decrease in goal to assist equipment owners in the electrical current of one-half to a full transition to non-CFC refrigerants. This ampere for the equipment after the we are getting out of CFCs just as soon case history is part of a series on conversions were completed." as we can. With today's competition, we equipment retrofits and replacements can't afford to have one of our stores by specific companies or agencies. Reduced Conversion Costs down, even tor a little while." Every effort has been made to see that these case histories accurately reflect The maintenance contractors for Gathering Information the actions taken by the companies Wawa .have gained enough experience profiled. However, recommendations converting CFC-12 systems to HFC- For five years, Mr. Wood and the about retroWrepiacement procedures 134a that the conversion costs have five regional managers have collected can vary Companies are urged to dropped substantially. To convert an information about alternative refrig- check with manufacturers and local average store containing 'five CFC-12 erants and equipment and have shared authofities in implementing programs to systems, Wawa spends about $2,000, this information with their maintenance move away from CFC refrigerants. of which approximately 60 percent is for contractors. They have encouraged the Mention of any trade names or chemicals, lubricant, and parts, while various maintenance contractors that commercial products does not con- the rest is for labor. Some of these service the five regions to do the same, stitute endorsement or recommendation costs can be recuperated from credits and this information-sharing program for use. For more information on the given by a reclaimer for recovered CFC has worked well. After attending the CFC phaseout, €PA information on refrigerant, however. Food Marketing Insthte's 1992 Energy refrigerant management, and accep- Conference in Boston for a "reality table akemative refrigerants, write: Egging them On check." they agreed that enough testing CFC Outreach, Stratospheric Protection had been conducted in the food industry Division, USEPA (6205il), Washington, Wawa's stores contain a number of to give them confidence in their phase- DC, 20460. different refrigerators and freezers, out program. including a flower case, a frozen carbonated beverage machine, and an Accelerating the Phaseout -ice freezer. whioh are all owned and operated by equipment manufacturers. Mr. Wood and the regional Although the chain is not directly managers decided to accelerate their responsible for eliminating CFCs from CFC phaseout program and have these pieces of equipment, the exec- instructed their maintenance contractors utives in the chain have begun to put to begin conducting equipment and pressure on the manufacturers to refrigerant inventories and estimating develop a plan to phase out CFCs. conversion costs. The five managers Wawa knows that store operations will want to be prepared with a realistic suffer should this equipment become budget when they meet with corporate unusable due to a lack of refrigerant. executives at the end of 1993. The