Four tips for reducing energy consumption in grocery stores
June 13, 2019
If you are in charge of running a grocery store, you know how important it is to keep energy costs low to turn a profit. Grocery stores rely on the operation of many energy-consuming systems to preserve food and enhance the customer’s experience like refrigeration and HVAC.
You cannot run a grocery store without these systems, but you can take a few steps to reduce the amount of energy they consume.
Four ways to reduce grocery store energy consumption
- Use closed-case refrigeration — Some grocery stores use open-case refrigeration units. These units have no doors, which makes it more convenient to access. Although these units are usually open upward to minimize loss of temperature, they still have to work harder than closed-case units. For this reason, your grocery store should use closed-case refrigeration units to reduce energy consumption.
- Take advantage of natural light — Besides refrigeration and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting is one of the most expensive factors in grocery store energy consumption. One way you can reduce the amount of energy your lighting consumes is to switch to more energy efficient bulbs like fluorescents or LEDs.
To reduce energy consumption even further, you should use more windows and skylights to let in natural light. Take note, you’ll want to make sure the windows you use are double-paned and insulated to avoid loss of temperature that causes your HVAC to work harder. - Have your HVAC routinely inspected — Dirty and malfunctioning components in your HVAC system drive up energy consumption rates in grocery stores. One of the most effective ways to keep your HVAC system clean and functioning is to have a professional routinely clean and inspect it. Not only does this lower energy costs, it also prolongs the lifespan of your HVAC equipment.
- Use air curtains — Opening a refrigerator door or the doors leading in and out of your grocery store causes changes in temperature. This makes your refrigeration units work harder to keep produce cool and your HVAC work harder to maintain temperature in the grocery store.
You can install air curtains in these doorways to help seal in temperature. These work by delivering a blast of air that acts as an invisible barrier when doors are open to prevent the loss of temperature.
Contact Energy Optimization for energy optimization services
Does your grocery store have a small margin of profit every year because of high energy consumption rates? You can reduce your store’s energy consumption to keep your electric and utility bills as low as possible. At Energy Optimization, our experts can optimize your refrigerator, HVAC, lighting and other energy consuming systems for an all-around energy-efficient grocery store. Contact us today to learn more about our energy optimization solutions for grocery stores.
