Retail Food Facility
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“Retail Food Facility” means a facility that sells food and uses at least one retail food refrigeration equipment unit or refrigeration system with more than 50 pounds of a refrigerant with a GWP value of 150 or greater. “Retail food facility” includes supermarkets, grocery stores, and all other food merchandising stores
New retail food refrigeration systems containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant and used in new facilities (as defined in the regulatory text) will be required to contain refrigerants with a GWP less than 150.
Refrigeration Equipment, Stationary (in New Facilities)
End-Use | Prohibited Substances/Requirement | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
Refrigeration equipment (new), containing more than 50 pounds refrigerant | Refrigerants with a GWP of 150 or greater | Prohibited as of January 1, 2022 |
All new retail food facilities, regardless of the system charge, are also subject to the prohibited refrigerants under Section 95374 Table 1.
Existing companies owning existing systems containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant in retail food facilities will be required to achieve company-wide HFC reductions – either through a reduction in their company-wide weighted-average GWP or in the alternative, reduce their Greenhouse Gas Emission Potential (GHGp).
Existing Retail Food Companies
Company Size | Compliance Requirement | Date |
|---|---|---|
Companies owning or operating 20 or more retail food facilities in California, and national supermarket chains operating in California. | Attain a company-wide weighted-average GWP of less than 2,500 or a 25% or greater reduction in GHGp below 2019 levels by December 31, 2026 | December 31, 2026 |
Attain a company-wide weighted-average GWP of less than 1,400 or a 55% or greater reduction in GHGp below 2019 levels | January 1, 2030 | |
Companies owning or operating fewer than 20 retail food facilities in California | Attain a company-wide weighted-average GWP of less than 1,400 or a 55% or greater reduction in GHGp below 2019 levels | January 1, 2030 |
Annual Reporting & Registration
Retail food companies are required to submit annual reports into the Refrigerant Registration and Reporting System (R3) that include their company-wide weighted-average GWP and GHGp by March 1, 2022 and every year thereafter. Additionally, on or before January 1, 2022, retail food facilities shall register in the R3 database refrigeration systems containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant that use a GWP less than 150.
For all of the prohibition, recordkeeping, labeling, exception, registration, and reporting requirements regarding retail food facilities please see Section 95375 (d).
For an example of how to calculate the weighted-average GWP and GHGp visit Greenhouse Gas Potential Example Calculation.