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4 benefits of energy-efficient refrigeration in professional appliances
The role of refrigeration within a professional kitchen goes above and beyond keeping produce fresh. While it’s among the most energy-intensive of appliances, a considered approach to design and specification can not only maximise shelf life but streamline workflow, reduce running costs and improve sustainability. Here’s how:
1) Energy Savings
It may seem obvious, but a more energy-efficient commercial fridge or freezer is going to have tangible impact on your operating costs versus a less efficient one. The easiest way of determining the energy efficiency of a commercial refrigerator is to look at its energy label. This will display important information such as its energy class (which is ranks appliances from A+++ to G), as well as its annual energy consumption (kWh/annum) and Climate Class.
2) Cost Savings
Hospitality organisations are among the most exposed to the volatility of the current energy crisis, so the more efficient the appliance, the less energy it will use and the cheaper it will be to run. However, it’s important to view the cost price of a commercial fridge or freezer withing the context of its entire operational life. While more efficient models may require a higher initial investment, their total cost of ownership is likely to be much lower than those with a low energy rating.
3) Optimal food preservation
With utility costs at an all-time high, professional kitchens are under pressure to maintain margin wherever they can. Food waste must be kept to an absolute minimum, and refrigeration can play a key role in keep produce fresher for longer. Modern appliances, such as the Electrolux Professional ecostore Premium range of refrigerated cabinets and counters include dedicated food preservation features such as OptiFlow. This intelligent air circulation system adapts the cooling load to the available capacity and maintains the temperature regardless of how many times the door is opened and closed.
Another feature to be aware of is Climate Class. This indicates a commercial refrigerator’s ability to correctly preserve food in different working conditions by maintaining a uniform internal temperature. Given the typically high ambient operating temperatures of a professional kitchen, operators should only consider appliances rated to Climate Class 4 (‘normal duty’: 30°C / 55% relative humidity) or Climate Class 5 (‘heavy duty’: 40°C / 40% relative humidity).
4) Environmental benefits
A final benefit of energy-efficient commercial refrigeration is it impact on the environment. Not only do more efficient models use less energy, but they also promote greater sustainability through the use of more environmentally friendly materials. All Electrolux Professional’s ecostore models, for example, use cyclopentane in the insulation foam, and hydrocarbons such as R290 as the refrigerant gas.
Hydrocarbons have a much lower global warming potential (GWP) compared to ‘greenhouse gasses’ such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) like R404A and R134a, which have traditionally been used in commercial refrigeration appliances. Indeed, commercial refrigeration appliances which contained HFCs with a GWP of 150 or more were banned from being sold from 1st January 2022 in both the UK and Europe.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the more efficient the commercial refrigerator, the greater the long term benefit to your business. Be it lower energy consumption, utility bills, food waste or global warming potential, choosing the most efficient model you can afford will go a long way to improving the operation of a professional kitchen.