PureComfort Powers A&P with a Fresh Result MOUNT KISCO, NY-An environmentally and economically conscious Mount Kisco Mayor J. Michael Cindrich welcomed A&P and UTC Power executives to his town on May 17th to help cut the ribbon at an A&P Fresh store, featuring the first supermarket installation of a UTC Power PureComfort 240M CHP unit.
UTC Power President Jan von Dokkum said, “The store is brightly lit, shelves are stocked with quality products, an overabundance of fresh produce, a clean and well organized meat and fish counter and a beautiful deli. That's what a customer sees. Behind the scenes it is equally impressive. This is without a doubt a very technically advanced store and energy efficiency is a big part of it.”
In remarks before a gathering of about 100 people, van Dokkum talked about the environmental benefits of the project. Afterwards, van Dokkum talked extensively of PureComfort's potential for reducing or eliminating spoilage, especially in the aftermath of power outages. He and other UTC Power personnel noted that outages caused by hurricanes in Florida last year had caused tremendous losses in food and grocery stores. Chuck McCutchan, senior vice president of A&P Retail Operations also suggested that A&P Fresh customers expected the company to be consistent in its approach to the environment and that using the PureComfort system improved the store's overall efficiency even compared to stores built as recently as two years ago and reduced power-related emissions. Mayor Cindrich was pleased that A&P would not be drawing great amounts of power from an already stressed grid, noting a movement to close a nearby nuclear plant.
The system, which was commissioned in December, comprises four microturbines with a Carrier double-effect absorption chiller. The system is sized to meet approximately 50% of the store's load, providing 150 RT cooling, 950 MBH thermal, and 230 kW at 59°F.