With new environmental pressures encouraging tighter regulations on household products we are seeing increased interest from the commercial refrigeration industry in reducing their carbon footprint. In addition to tighter regulations on the overall environment, there is also the need to reduce the toxic chemicals that are being used in their production. One of the areas where these regulations are focused is on reducing the amount of refrigerant emissions produced during the manufacturing process. Although some industries are looking at ways of reducing their greenhouse gas output without necessarily reducing their use of refrigerant it is clear that they are aware of the current concerns over greenhouse gas emissions. To meet these changes and build sustainable refrigeration systems, the industry needs a more flexible approach than simply concentrating on technological fixes alone.
What Are The Main Steps Being Taken?
Part of this need for flexibility is to be able to meet the needs of the manufacturing industry while also ensuring that consumers benefit from lower energy bills. Another area where flexibility can be found in the commercial refrigeration market is in the types of refrigeration units that can be used. The industry has moved from the bulk style storage unit to the more flexible single compartment unit. With the changing demands and the need to keep refrigeration consistent across an entire facility it is necessary to have these units available. This is another area where technological innovation is helping the industry achieve the efficiency benefits while also meeting the regulatory changes. Some of the changes being introduced will result in refrigeration units that produce up to 15% less GWD than traditional compressor refrigeration units.
One of the most significant regulations introduced in January 2021 was the introduction of the National Encouragement of Domestic Energy Efficient Product (NEEDEP) which aims to reduce energy consumption in the commercial refrigeration industry. The NEEDEP regulations were introduced to encourage owners of restaurants, cafes, takeaway companies, pubs, and other retail outlets to have energy efficient appliances in place. It is estimated that this sector alone will employ over ten thousand people over the next two years. A major part of the new rules involves the mandatory use of energy efficient single compartment air conditioners (ICEs). The new specifications for these air-conditioning systems state that the single compartment equipment can be used to cool and heat both air conditioning systems inside the building or as well as outside of the structure. Although businesses will have a greater choice when it comes to purchasing their new products, they will also have to comply with certain regulations due to regulations introduced by the European Union.
Although there are regulations about the average temperatures that commercial refrigeration equipment should be able to maintain these are particularly relevant to supermarkets. Most supermarkets operate on a very regular cycle whereby they operate at a temperature of about 13 degrees Celsius most days. As well as the daily temperatures being maintained by the machine’s food is also kept at a constant temperature of around forty-five degrees Celsius. Most commercial refrigeration systems are heated using electricity but some can be cooled down manually using water hoses and fans.
Modern commercial refrigeration systems can also be fitted with an optional heat pump technology. This is used to increase the efficiency of commercial refrigeration by removing ice cubes from the chilled food and adding it to the hot food. This additional energy source is extremely useful as most of today’s refrigerators generate more heat than they require. This additional heat can then be transferred to cold items that are stored within the unit. In addition they also use less energy as a result of the increased efficiency of modern refrigeration systems.
Future Development Of Commercial Refigeration
It is apparent that the amount of energy consumption required to keep commercial refrigeration systems running is considerably lower than it was in the past. As, well as helping reduce energy consumption they are also responsible for reducing the amount of heat recovery that occurs. This means that the quantity of heat produced when temperatures are high will be less than if temperatures were lower. These measures will hopefully prove useful to supermarkets in their attempts to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere from the average commercial fridge.