Appliances like fridges and freezers drain a lot of energy and significantly affect your monthly electrical bill – alas, you cannot live without them and have no other option but pay up. But, what happens to larger storage units found in cold storage industry that keep food and beverages cold on a larger scale? Imagine the consumption of energy there! That is why this industry is changing the perspective and trying to go green. Here is how this new focus on energy-efficiency is developing.
A Sudden Interest – or Not?
The idea behind energy preservation is neither innovative nor new, but its inclusion in the world of cold storage and the ways this is done are. The reason for negligence is simple – cold storage facilities are supposed to keep stored items cold and, therefore, expected to use a ton of energy. And with the need and the capacities for cold storage constantly rising, this need is expected to rise as well. Nevertheless, something can be done after all.
Since turning down a refrigeration system is out of the question, the experts in this area – including, on the one hand, CEOs of companies that use cold storage and, on the other, professionals in energy consumption and efficiency – agree that this is a matter of perspective. Big spenders do not need to stop using their cooling systems, but just need to find an alternative approach or two.
Storage and Automation
Probably the easiest thing you can do to reduce energy consumption in your warehouse is introduce a new system and organization. Making a new schedule is never easy, but that is something you have to do in order to minimize the unused space and maximize the potential of the energy you use. Equipped with new quality pallet racking, your warehouse will be better organized and manage to cool more food and beverages with the same amount of energy.
Additionally, you have to consider automation and reevaluate your labor force. By switching from a bunch of smaller facilities to a fewer number of large ones, your automation will be easier to establish, while your workforce can be more concentrated. All of this will result in a faster and energy-efficient system.
Carbon Dioxide versus Ammonia
Until very recently, ammonia-based cooling system were the thing to look for if you are in need of a reliable, efficient and cost-effective solution. They do absolutely everything right, but are not as safe as you might think. And nobody wants a massive amount of this compound just lying around, waiting to leak and burst into flames. That is why a new solution was needed and it seems that carbon dioxide might be something we were waiting for.
CO2 is not pushing NH3 completely out of the picture, but simply enhancing it – the new carbon dioxide systems are using two refrigerants instead of one and the additional unit is actually cooling the existing one down. Since ammonia still has a central role in the unit – it is contained in the center of the system, away from the outside world – CO2 is now in direct contact with the warehouse air. This way, there are leaks are less likely to happen and the entire system is much safer and more stable.
The Reason for a Change
When speaking of energy-efficiency, people generally focus on an individual role and what a single person can do. While it may be a lot – and there are numerous ways to help save energy at home – it is the big companies and warehouses that really make a difference. And with a new approach to cold storage industry and a new organization, this goal will be much closer.