Golden State Foods: ammonia-CO2 cascade system in newly opened LEED-Certified Distribution Centre&nbsp;

Golden State Foods (GSF), one of the world’s largest fast food restaurant suppliers, has installed an ammonia-CO₂cascade refrigeration system in its newly opened LEED-certified distribution centre. The new facility marks a milestone in the company’s goal to move towards greater environmental sustainability and will act as a benchmark for future and existing facilities.

GSF, established in 1947, has over 460 McDonald’s customers in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. In 2014 the company installed an ammonia-CO₂ refrigeration solution at its new 158,000 ft2 (14,679m2) distribution centre located in McCook, Illinois, in the U.S. The building is the first LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold-certified site in McDonald’s system.

“We are truly impressed by GSF’s latest distribution center here in McCook’, said Bob Steward, McDonald’s U.S. field and supply chain services. “The sustainable features truly bring our values of being a good neighborhood and partner to the community to reality.”

State-of-the-art refrigeration technology

The contemporary food distribution facility has an ammonia-CO₂ cascade system that only uses natural refrigerants, an environmental friendly solution that significantly reduces the amount of HFC emissions compared to conventional refrigeration systems. Using CO₂ in the cascade system reduces the ammonia charge, thereby improving overall system safety and also increases energy efficiency. The cascade refrigeration system maintains 42,412 ft2 (3940m2) of cooler storage at 34°F (1.1°C) and 23,984 ft2 (2228m2) of freezer storage at -10°F (-23.3°C).

Reduced electricity and water consumption

With a cross-dock configuration and 52 truck docks, the facility has 56,448 ft2 (5244m2) of dry storage, 32,338 ft2 (3004m2) of office space and a separate 8,539 ft2 (793m2) on-site maintenance building.

In addition to using natural refrigerants, the state-of-the-art distribution centre features a series of green technologies:

Reduced water consumption: rainwater is collected from the roof in a 40,000-gallon (151,000-liter) cistern and is used to irrigate the facility’s natural landscaping. An automated truck wash with an auto-recovery system further reduces the site’s water usage.
87% of construction waste was reused and recycled in the process
Electric vehicle charging stations: and vehicle parking using fuel-efficient/alternative fuel
Reduced electricity consumption: thanks to the use of clear glass panels in the dry warehouse and insulated panels in the coolers, which allows for greater natural lighting. LED light fixtures and motion detectors further reduce energy use. Lastly, a new hydrogen generation plant implements hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative energy source for forklift and pallet jack equipment operation, replacing the use of traditional batteries and chargers.

The facility is also ISO 14001-certified and operates according to GSF’s environmental management systems, sustainability and recycling programs, and conservation, compliance and waste diversion standards.

About LEED certification

LEED certification is conferred to buildings that save money and resources, and that promote renewable and clean energy while also having a positive impact on the health of the building occupants.

About Gold State Foods

Golden State Foods is one of the largest diversified suppliers to the foodservice industry, servicing 100+ customers and 125,000+ restaurants on five continents.