Refrigerators and freezers are critical to the operations of restaurants, grocery and convenience stores and other types of businesses. Cold storage units, however, operate around the clock and use a lot of energy. The following simple measures can help reduce refrigeration energy consumption and take the heat off your operating budget.
Cost-saving tips
Your business can take a variety of measures to reduce the energy use of commercial refrigerators and freezers. Save some cold cash with these low-cost tips:
- Turn on anti-sweat heaters only when ambient conditions cause condensation on the display doors. Install adaptive controls for these devices so they turn on and off automatically when necessary. Seasonal calibration is also a good idea.
- Check door gaskets and auto closers to make sure they are in good condition. If they are not working properly, warm, humid air can enter refrigeration compartments, resulting in energy waste and spoiled food.
- Keep the refrigeration system clean and dust-free, especially the coils, to help improve heat transfer within the system.
- Use high-efficiency LED fixtures for case lighting. LEDs offer excellent cold temperature performance. Also, install motion sensors to ensure that lights are turned on only when needed.
- Install night curtains on open cases to help keep refrigerated air from escaping after business hours.
- Maintain proper airflow over the heat exchange coils by ensuring that the refrigeration unit has enough space around it. Adequate airflow helps improve system efficiency,
If it's time to replace your cold storage unit, upgrade to an ENERGY STAR®-certified model. ENERGY STAR commercial refrigerators and freezers are, on average, 20% more energy efficient than standard models while still providing a high level of performance.