Refrigeration accounts for almost half of the total energy consumed by supermarkets and grocery stores. This makes conserving energy a top economic priority for food retail outlets and other foodservice businesses. However, there’s another important reason for them to use less energy: saving the environment.
There’s a direct correlation between energy consumption and the health of the environment. Power plants release harmful emissions when they burn fossil fuels to generate the electricity. The more power you use to run commercial refrigerators, the more toxic fumes are released by power plants into the air. These emissions include carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide, and contribute to the greenhouse effect – trapping heat in the atmosphere and negatively impacting the environment.
Commercial refrigerators can positively impact the environment if they are designed to be energy efficient. Having energy efficient commercial refrigerators in your restaurant, supermarket, or convenience store also builds brand affinity with consumers. Studies show shoppers prefer to buy from companies with an environmentally-friendly reputation. And, of course, reducing energy use contributes to a healthy bottom line.
Here are three key components of energy efficient commercial refrigerators.
Select Commercial Refrigerators with Energy Efficient Insulation
Building an energy-efficient commercial refrigerator starts a sustainable manufacturing process. Manufacturers demonstrate their commitment to preserving the environment by making sure the components used to build commercial refrigerators don’t harm the planet. Look for commercial refrigerators that use a cyclopentane blowing agent during the insulation process. Cyclopentane is a blowing agent used to insert the foam that insulates a commercial refrigerator. Cyclopentane contains no chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or (hydroflurocarbons) (HFCs) – greenhouse gases that damage the atmosphere. Equally important, cyclopentane is a highly efficient foam insulator. This ensures that the cold air stays inside the commercial refrigerator and consumes less energy to keep food cold.
Choose Commercial Refrigerators with Energy Efficient Components
Reducing energy consumption decreases the amount of electricity power plants must generate and the amount of greenhouse gases released into the environment. Supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants should select commercial refrigerators designed for efficiency. Look for commercial refrigerators that use electronic motors and electronic temperature controllers. These components use significantly less energy to operate compared to traditional commercial refrigerators.
Look for Commercial Refrigerators with Energy Efficient Lighting
You don’t have to choose between showcasing the food product you want to sell in your convenience store or supermarket and keeping your energy usage in check. Look for commercial refrigerators that use LED lighting. LED lighting uses far less energy and lasts much longer than the standard fluorescent light bulbs typically used to illuminate commercial refrigerators.
You can find a complete line of environmentally-friendly, energy efficient commercial refrigerators from Imbera Foodservice. Contact us today at 678-504-6835.
