an article By: Jerry Hardy

In today’s business world, retailers are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising cost of operating their businesses.  But some business owners are finding out that becoming more sensitive to our natural environment is translating into savings in their economic environment.
 
One of the biggest expenses in any food store is electricity.  And the largest consumer of electricity is refrigeration equipment.  I’m here to share with you a few ways you, as a food store retailer, can save money and help preserve our natural environment by making a few adjustments to your refrigeration equipment.

Use Alternative Refrigerants

A newer family of refrigerant gasses (e.g. R507 and R404) can be used to replace older Freon gasses (e.g. R12 and R502).  One reason to make this change it that the new coolants have no chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are compounds known to deplete the ozone.  In fact, all CFC refrigerants have been gradually phased out of production in the last 4-5 years.  With the exception of R22, which has a small chorine base, all equipment manufactured with CFCs will end by 2010.

The newer gasses are a little bit more cost effective than the old refrigerants thus the cost savings won’t be huge; however, they are much better for the environment, and will eventually be required by law.  The cost to change out your refrigerant is subject to the type of gas currently in use and on how much you have in your system.   On average it would cost approximately $14.00/lb for oil changes ($8.00/lb for refrigerant and $6.00/lb for labor).

Have a Finely Tuned System

A refrigeration contractor can go through and “re-commission” your refrigeration system and save you a lot of money.  Re-commissioning your refrigeration system is basically resetting all of the controls (including head pressure and suction pressure) back to the factory designed specifications.  Depending on how far off your system is from the original factory settings, you could see as much as a 25% reduction in your energy costs.

Reduce Compressor Cycle Times

Another refrigeration cost saving technique is to reduce the compressor run times.  By reducing the compressor run times, you reduce the wear and tear on parts such as the contactors, starters, and relays.  This can extend the lifetime of your equipment and also give you a steadier temperature control because the compressor is not kicking on and off.  This saves you money by reducing the need to replace costly parts and the labor it would take to replace them.

Use LED Lighting for Display Cases

LED lighting is another great source of energy management.  We have really started to get a big push for installing these from our customers.  They reduce your energy usage (because they use a lower wattage) and the lifetime of the bulbs is much longer than regular bulbs thus saving money on replacement costs.  They also don’t put off as much heat.  There are many different types of LED lighting, so it is important to do your research and make sure you get the one you really like the best.

Install Computer-Controlled System

A computer-controlled refrigeration system can cycle your compressors on and off, control defrosts, regulate temperatures, cycle condenser fans on and off as needed, and monitor alarms, temperatures, and pressures.  All of these parameters can be optimized for maximum efficiency.  The purchase cost is not as expensive as you would think, but it can vary widely depending on what type of control system you want to install.  You can get a very inexpensive system that doesn’t do too much or you can get the kind that has all the bells and whistles, including the ability to monitor your system off site when you are away from the store.

Install Anti-Sweat Heater Controls

Most freezer/cooler doors are manufactured with anti-sweat heaters on the doors.  These keep the doors from sweating due to the humidity in the store.  A door that is purchased usually does not have any controls on it, so when the case is hooked up, the anti-sweat heaters fire up.  Having controls installed can regulate the heater activity and translate into large savings.  These devices modulate the anti-sweet heaters on the frozen glass doors, depending on the humidity in the store.  For example, the higher the humidity in the store, the more the heaters stay on.  The less the humidity in the store, the less the heaters will be on.  Without a control mechanism, the anti-sweat heaters in the doors will always be on thus constantly consuming electricity.

Install Night and/or Strip Curtains

Another great cost saving technique is to get night/strip curtains for multi-deck cases.  With these, the refrigeration equipment is not required to work as hard during times when it is not needed (when your store is closed for example).  The case holds the temperature more consistent for the product, thereby maintaining the stability of the product and improving its shelf life.  For some night covers, independent testing claims direct energy savings on refrigeration costs of up to 36%.

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There you have it, seven energy and cost saving tips for improving the efficiency of your refrigeration equipment.  If you have any questions about the implementation of these tips or how your store can take advantage of this knowledge, please contact us at Advantage Refrigeration.

In addition, we may be able to help you achieve ENERGY STAR qualification and earn incentives on new installations as well as upgrades to your existing equipment.  By achieving ENERGY STAR qualification you may be eligible for a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot.  Visit the ENERGY STAR website for more information on how you may become eligible to claim this deduction.

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Jerry Hardy is part of the Business Development/Sales division of Advantage Refrigeration, LLC an independent refrigeration company out of New Berlin, Wisconsin.  He is a past owner of a food store and has first hand experience in store design and layout.  Jerry is currently on the board of a number of small food-chain retailers.  He can be reached via email at: jhardy@adrefinc.com.

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