ENERGY SAVING
Energy Use in Food Retail Markets UK retailers consume energy in three main areas: stores, distribution centres and transportation. The physical retail outlets themselves account for the most significant element of total energy consumption. Energy use by store varies according to size, product mix, type of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) equipment and lighting installed. Usage ranges from 700 kWh/m2 in larger stores to over 2000 kWh/m2 in some smaller convenience stores due to their higher ratio of refrigerated space to total sales space. The biggest power draw in many food stores is refrigeration which accounts for between 30% and 60% of consumption. In contrast, lighting accounts for between 15% and 25%. Most of the remainder can be attributed to heating, ventilation, air conditioning and cooking facilities such as bakeries or rotisseries. With energy costs rising, margins under pressure and the rise of environmentally- conscious consumers, taking control of energy use helps retailers increase margins and achieve business objectives.
data from the control or monitoring solutions installed throughout the facility. The following features of effective remote monitoring software can increase efficiency and save energy.
Remote access With remote monitoring software in place, facility managers do not need to physically visit a site to understand how assets are performing. All the information they require will be at their fingertips, simply by logging into the program from their desk. If the software in use is cloud- based, accessing the data is possible from any device, at any time, from anywhere with internet access.
Personalised reporting
Daily reports about the energy usage of all HVACR equipment plus lighting and any other networkable systems can be generated to identify trends and potential issues. In addition to enabling the implementation of energy-saving measures, it allows predictive maintenance, handling problems before they become serious. Effective software will allow the creation of custom reports so that every business can get the information it needs to improve energy management.
Solutions for Increasing Energy Efficiency
The Carbon Trust identifies five key areas for attention by retailers wishing to take control of energy use: energy management, refrigeration, HVAC, lighting and building fabric. Using efficient technology will pinpoint where energy is being used. It enables stores to manage energy without impacting food quality and enhance customer comfort in stores while cutting energy costs significantly. Effective remote monitoring software and an excellent front-end control system are two essential energy management solutions for food retail stores of any size.
Remote monitoring software In essence, remote monitoring software works by processing data it receives via an Internet enabled front-end control system that is in place at a facility. This system, in turn, receives
Detailed monitoring The monitoring of asset performance should be as detailed as needed: from a single part of plant equipment, over an entire store, to hundreds of locations. This allows managers to drill down and understand where equipment is running inefficiently in any particular store and at the same time compare sites and analyse trends to identify areas for improvement on a larger scale. If an energy monitoring dashboard is built in, it will enable energy and building management to an even finer level of detail.
Front-end control and monitoring systems An efficient front-end control and monitoring system that is installed at store level will have a host of features that allow store or energy managers to implement intelligent energy- saving processes.
Open protocol
The most effective front-end control systems are those built on open protocols which enables them to receive information from third-party devices. This provides visibility and control over all assets installed in a store.
Energy-saving features specialised for refrigeration If a front-end control system is in place that features energy-saving options for refrigeration applications, food retailers can optimise their energy management even further.A few examples of those features include trim heater control and condenser temperature differential. A trim heater control function will instruct compatible controllers to adjust their trim heater output levels to prevent condensation forming. If the function is dynamic, the trim load can be varied based on actual store conditions maximising savings when the humidity is low. If a condenser temperature differential feature is available, it will allow the monitoring of condenser efficiency. Alarms would be generated if condensers
were not operating effectively, preventing energy loss due to inefficiency. All of these features are great examples of how an efficient front-end monitoring system can help individual stores save energy or highlight energy wastage.
With effective remote monitoring software and a front-end control and monitoring system based on open protocols, retailers can manage their energy consumption, maintaining or improving margins in this challenging time.
www.acr-news.com January 2020 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
