Retail

Renteknik Group Shows How Small Tweaks Can Produce Big Results

Challenge

Renteknik Group Inc. is a provider of Renewable Technology Development and Energy and Environmental Solutions.  The company provides green energy engineering, systems design, feasibility studies, supply management and project management.

Renteknik was recently contracted by a Canadian grocer to provide a pilot project analyzing the existing refrigeration system at one of its stores in order to maximize the energy efficiency, provide energy savings and improve the overall operation of the system.

Strategy

Renteknik began the project by using a ClimaCheck Energy Performance Analyzer to monitor the store’s more than twenty year old refrigeration system to identify anomalies.

Initial evaluation showed that the medium and low temperature refrigeration system was consuming approximately 1,342,000 kWh of electricity per year.

Further monitoring using the ClimaCheck Performance Analyzer identified three main issues on the Refrigeration System:

• Compressor Short Cycling
• High Condensing Temperatures
• Low Evaporation Temperatures

As a result of these findings, adjustments (non-capital) or replacements (capital) were recommended to be carried out immediately or as needed to bring the system back to optimal and maximum operating efficiency.

Compressor Short Cycling:

Compressor short cycling creates instability to the system as well as unnecessary wear on the compressors. By creating base load compressors and booster or peak compressors that operate on a lead lag sequence, short cycling will be eliminated.

High Condensing Temperatures:

The electricity consumed by the refrigeration system increases between 3-5% per degree that the condensing temperature rises from the specified set-point. In order to prevent this increase in energy consumption, the condensing temperatures have to be set lower and the PID controller adjusted to minimize deviation from this set-point.

Low Evaporation Temperatures:

Similar to high condensing temperatures, evaporating temperatures below a specified set-point will drive energy consumption upwards. To alleviate this issue, measures should be put in place to stabilize or increase the evaporation temperatures. These may include installing night covers or display case doors and the placement of product according to similar temperatures.

ClimaCheck is extensively used in the global market with thousands of Refrigeration and Cooling Systems utilizing this technology to achieve energy savings and monitor System performance on an ongoing basis (continual commissioning).

Result

These recommended efficiency measures are not only very cost effective for the Client (non-capital) but they also produce significant Energy Savings of 268,000 kWh per year which is approximately a 22% decrease in electricity usage.

This pilot project has not only demonstrated preliminary energy savings for this particular store, but has also allowed the grocer to utilize lessons learned to create widespread cost savings throughout the Canadian grocer’s entire chain.