Energy savings on refrigeration equipment - Saving up to €30 000 per year
Refrigeration equipment is an energy waster in shops, commercial premises and other buildings. Thousands of commercial buildings could make significant savings in the energy use of refrigeration equipment. The main beneficiaries of these savings would be customers, as energy costs are also reflected in the prices of products and services. Significant savings can be achieved by using artificial intelligence and the latest environmentally friendly models of refrigeration equipment.
The digitalisation and easy-to-use format of data distributed in building and refrigeration automation systems will allow shops to take measures that will save energy. With all information readily available, time is no longer wasted searching for information. When information is available in a digital format, the expert has time to analyse and take action. Artificial intelligence analyses the temperature data of refrigeration equipment to determine whether it is functioning correctly, identifying abnormal temperature overruns and underruns or problems with refrigeration defrosting, for example. Based on the information provided by the AI, a refrigeration or energy management specialist can determine the cause of the problem and take the necessary corrective action. In addition to energy savings, energy management reduces maintenance visits by up to 60%. The number of specialists required is also significantly reduced through digitalisation.
For businesses and customers, environmental issues have become a very important value.
The store design has moved to energy-efficient refrigeration equipment, as today's consumers are more enlightened and appreciate ecological and environmentally friendly solutions. Door-type refrigeration equipment offers significant savings compared to open-type refrigeration equipment. The energy consumption of open-top refrigeration appliances is up to more than 50% of the total electricity consumption in a commercial building. A door-type refrigerator can achieve energy savings of around 40%. The savings are even higher with a freezer.
Refrigeration appliances consume about half of the electricity consumed in the grocery trade. The energy costs of refrigeration alone can run into thousands of euros for an individual property. This is why energy efficiency not only has environmental benefits, but also clear economic benefits. The use of waste heat from refrigeration equipment can provide significant additional energy savings. Motiva has published a guide on the recovery of heat from commercial refrigeration equipment and systems. The guide helps both small and large retailers to estimate the energy savings that can be achieved through different heat recovery solutions. Heat recovery is a sensible and profitable investment that pays for itself quickly. Waste heat recovery can save a shop thousands of euros, for example a 2,000 square metre shop has been calculated to save €6,500 a year on its energy bills - and if the shop has direct electric heating, the saving is almost €30,000 a year.
You can read more at: https://www.motiva.fi/files/7973/Kaupan_kylmalaitteiden_ja_-jarjestelmien_lauhdelammon_talteenotto_Laskentaohje.pdf
