More profit for the Grocery Business
The display refrigeration
equipment in grocery shops, convenience stores, and restaurants will typically
account for 25% to 60% of the electricity used. Modern equipment has seen many
advances in refrigeration technology
which are both cost effective and improve product quality.
The size and type of your business
will determine the type of refrigeration equipment used.
Central refrigeration systems consist of
refrigerated spaces connected to a remote condenser. These systems have the
advantage of emitting waste heat outside of the conditioned space through the
condenser.
Stand-alone refrigeration
systems,
often called merchandisers, usually have the case, evaporator and condenser
packaged in a single unit, similar to a home refrigerator. These stand-alone
units are commonly used in smaller facilities where a central refrigeration
system is not justified.
There
are many tips to consider when maintaining your equipment but the most common
advice is to clean
cooling coils regularly to ensure proper airflow and heat transfer.
The US website http://fpl.bizenergyadvisor.com/grocery-stores
states that energy costs account for 15% of a grocery store’s operating budget.
Because grocery stores’ profit margins are so thin, approximately 1%, every
£1.00 in energy savings is equivalent to increasing sales by £59.00.
If refrigeration
comprises 50 % or more of the electricity costs for grocery and convenience
stores it is likely that lighting will account for 20% whilst cooling and
ventilation both average about 13 %. Any energy saving strategy that reduces
these costs will increase floor space profitability and improve the operating
margins of your business.
In “A Cool Display”
published in the March 14 copy of Grocery Trader we stated that
“Thermal Engineering suggests that the UK’s retail
food outlets are responsible for approximately 3% of total electrical energy
consumption. Refrigeration accounts for a major percentage of in-store
electricity demand ranging from 25% - 30% for larger hypermarkets to over 60%
for food-dominant convenience stores. The report concludes that if those stores
with above average energy usage reduced their consumption to industry-wide
average levels through implementing energy conservation measures, then an
additional 10% electrical energy savings could be achieved. This represents
around 840 GWh of electricity and a reduction of 355,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions
if applied to all the stores of the major retail food chains in the UK”.
Obviously, grocery and convenience stores have long hours of
operation and are open most days of the week. Some equipment is on and running
constantly even when the store is closed. Energy costs can add up even more
when equipment is old and inefficient.
During
a recent visit to a factory in Stoke we were able to view new display
refrigeration cabinets using the latest technology to reduce the energy
consumed. This company also refurbish old units and we saw
many that had been returned for repair (see figure 1).
Figure 1- display refrigeration units awaiting repair |
Typically
the reason for system failure was caused by the clogged or compacted coils
which increase the head pressure and cause the compressor motors to fail (see
figure 2). Although this repair can be
completed by a competent mobile service engineer many of the major retailers
simply remove the unit for offsite repair so that the floor space can continue
working with a replacement.
In all air movement equipment it
is imperative that the resistance is kept at a minimum.
On large air handlers you will typically have
a pre-filter followed by secondary and even tertiary filters depending upon the
application.
Figure 2- typical coil condition |
In refrigeration equipment,
including remote condensers, the coils are unprotected and so all airborne
debris is drawn into the coil section and lodges between the fins.
1mm of dirt will cause a 21% drop
in efficiency and can increase refrigeration energy use by 35%.
Clean equipment runs more efficiently and so condenser and evaporative coils need to be kept as clean as possible.
Figure 3 - magnetic sample located on louvre |
That is why the use of a
PreVent Equipment Filter (see figure 3) is slowly being recognised by the food industry
as a cost effective upgrade to existing and new equipment. The filter sits on
the outside of the air intake louvre which allows retail staff to remove and clean
them as part of their daily cleaning schedule.
There are approximately 800,000 retail display units running in the UK
with more being added everyday as the number of convenience stores grow. There
is a lot of energy to be saved if these units can be kept running as
efficiently as possible which equates to more profit for the retailers.
For more information about how air intake filters are being
used, contact RAB Specialist Engineers Limited on 01635 248633 or visit www.airintakkescreen.co.uk
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