Energy Efficiency

Upgrading old refrigeration equipment with new, high energy efficiency models which use less energy, is quieter, use a refrigerant that offers little to no global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion, is designed to better display prepared and fresh food, and will protect the food at a perfect temperature seems a no brainer. However, to reduce the cost of the upgrade and capture as much energy efficiency and financial savings as possible, grocery stores and convenience stores must follow the 6 important steps below:

Step 1: Research the Next-Generation Refrigerants That Deliver High Energy Efficiency

The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council offers a wealth of resources to understand the urgency to transition to low-impact refrigerants as well as provides a list of state and local financial aid. Natural refrigerants, such as carbon dioxide, ammonia, and propane, are the most climate-friendly refrigerant alternatives and offer a future-proof solution to high-global-warming-potential Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants (HFCs) commonly used in supermarkets.

Ask yourself: should you look for a temporary solution that converts R-22 or R-404A refrigerant with Mid-range GWP alternative refrigerants, such as R-448A and R-449A that will ultimately not comply with the 2020 AIM Act HFC phase-down? Or should you upgrade your refrigeration units altogether to new models that use Technologies using Zero and Near-Zero GWP refrigerants, such as CO2, Propane, and Ammonia?

Step 4: Research How To Handle Your Old Equipment Before Upgrading To High Energy Efficiency Units

Never recycle or landfill old equipment, even broken units. This is ridiculously expensive and will quickly add to your operation’s carbon footprint. Instead, you should focus on re-marketing the units to small shops, restaurants, bars, and hotels that may be interested in purchasing one or two units.

Keep in mind: when you have thousands of units to get rid of across several states and are not particularly flexible on the timeline for the units to be removed, it becomes a particularly difficult puzzle that adds complexity to an already stressful store remodeling process.

This is where 1GNITE comes in. We have the network of buyers lined up and coordinate the pickup at the store on the exact day you need the units removed, and we get you fair market value for all the units. That alone can offset the equipment upgrade cost by several millions of dollars

Step 5: Track the Energy Consumption Of Each Unit Carefully

Check temperature settings. Freezers should be kept between -14 and -8 degrees Fahrenheit, and refrigerators between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature settings outside those norms will likely lead to wasted energy.

Use smart sensors to alert you when a unit is cooling too little or too much to address the issue immediately. Preventing catastrophic failure

Measuring energy consumption will allow you to verify the energy savings as well as properly report the equipment’s energy consumption which will be used to compile the organization’s carbon footprint

Step 6: Complete Regular Cleaning and Repairs

Regular cleaning of cooling unit coils improves heat transfer within the system, which is key to running an energy-efficient refrigeration system.

Check door seal integrity and keep doors closed as much as possible. By keeping doors shut as often and as tight as possible, grocery store owners and managers can reduce energy waste.

Store associates are already pulled in a lot of directions, and sending a highly qualified refrigeration technician to do simple tasks like cleaning coils or repairing door seals is an expensive proposition.

1GNITE offers a maintenance program that features scheduled deep cleaning, light repairs to clean the coils, checks for door seal integrity, and completing any other small repairs as needed, such as replacing door seal gaskets or replacing door handles.

The need to upgrade old refrigeration equipment  for high energy efficiency units is unavoidable. The longer you wait to get the process started, the more money you’re going to spend, and the more complicated the process is going to get. Don’t wait until the last minute to update your refrigeration equipment – call us today and let’s start planning accordingly.