Here are five ways to reduce commercial refrigerator electric usage in your commercial cooler. Let GlacierGrid help you improve energy efficiency through remote temperature monitoring.
Fact: 64% of people in the United States dine out at least once a week.
With so many hungry mouths to feed, foodservice operations require many resources to function adequately. This is particularly true in inventory, staffing, and utilities. Unfortunately, these resources are experiencing price shifts making them more expensive than ever before.
Nowhere is this more true than in power consumption.
This resource has risen in price in the US by 1.8% annually over the last 25 years. Some states have even seen higher increases, with Hawaii topping the list at 3.86%.
Given these rising prices, operators everywhere are asking themselves how to increase their energy efficiency. The secret may be in commercial refrigeration, such as walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers. Refrigeration accounts for up to 44% of foodservice energy cost, the largest share of any source. Therefore, reducing energy consumption is central to stabilizing overhead costs.
Want to learn how you can reduce energy costs in your foodservice business? Read on to learn more.
The buildings that house businesses in the foodservice industry are some of the most energy-intensive properties in the US. Annually, they use an average of 38 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per square foot. That’s about five to seven times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings. However, this can be ten times more in high-volume quick-service restaurants due to environmental controls such as heating and HVAC systems.
Commercial refrigeration systems mainly use so much energy due to their continual use. To keep perishable inventory fresh and safe to eat, cold storage equipment such as walk-ins and freezers must maintain static temperatures below 40° and 32°, respectively. Another reason commercial refrigerators may see reduced energy efficiency is due to poorly sealed glass doors of lowboys, reach-in refrigerators, or display cases.
While these figures offer a baseline of use in commercial refrigeration equipment, several common factors increase energy consumption:
To learn more about how a commercial refrigeration system works, read our article on the topic.
With the average foodservice business spending $2.95 per square foot on electricity each month, electricity purely for refrigeration costs $1.30. That accounts for 3-5% of that businesses’ total revenue. Thankfully, even small efforts to reduce energy consumption can have big payoffs, even if it means solely implementing LED lighting. Even a 20% increase in electricity savings will yield an additional 1% in profits. The best part is anyone can realize these energy efficiency benefits by following a couple of easy steps.
Without accurate temperature data, restaurants may over or under-cool their inventory. When refrigerators become unreliable or old, foodservice operators compensate by turning down equipment temperature to prevent food from moving into the danger zone.
While this method may prevent food spoilage, the increased energy consumption negatively impacts the business.
Setting your commercial refrigerator or commercial freezer to the optimal temperature outlined above doesn’t mean it will remain that way. Several everyday scenarios can affect the static balance of conditions within your cold storage, including equipment faults, power outages, and staff members frequently opening the freezer door and letting warm air in.
Operators can more easily identify with remote temperature monitors from GlacierGrid; operators can more easily identify if they are overcooling inventory and realized significant energy savings. GlacierGrid helps operators determine if equipment temperature needs adjusting or if an inability to maintain temperature is due to a faulty component requiring immediate maintenance.
GlacierGrid provides 24/7 wireless temperature and humidity monitoring sensors built to perform inside walk-ins, freezers, and other commercial refrigeration equipment. GlacierGrid empowers restaurant operators to understand their equipment better and electricity consumption and energy usage. This reduction will help operators see lower energy bills.
Do you want to see how much money you can save by reducing your electricity consumption and use less energy overall? Click below to try GlacierGrid now.