Refrigeration Applications and Energy Savings Potential

Refrigeration applications in the commercial sector involve a wide range of technologies from stand-alone residential-type refrigerators to large central supermarket refrigeration systems. The most common refrigeration applications include:

• Grocery store refrigeration systems  – Grocery store systems have

  Annual Refrigeration Electricity Cost   Facility Type Annual cost Per Square Foot Sit-down Restaurant $0.46 Fast-service Restaurant $1.04 Small Grocery $1.42 Large Grocery $2.20

  two distinct components: 1) the display  cases, and 2) the central refrigeration system including mechanical equipment and controls. Grocery stores account for about one third of refrigeration energy use.
• Beverage merchandisers  – Beverage merchandisers consume about five percent of overall refrigeration energy.
• Reach-in refrigerators and freezers  – Reach-in refrigerators and freezers account for about 12 percent of refrigeration energy use overall.
• Refrigerated vending machines  – Refrigerated vending machines consume about 13 percent of commercial sector refrigeration energy use.
• Walk-in coolers and freezers  – Walk-in coolers and freezers account for about 18 percent of refrigeration energy use.
• Ice machines  – Ice making accounts for about 10 percent of refrigeration energy use.
• Other applications – Commercial refrigeration also includes a wide range of other miscellaneous applications including water coolers, non-beverage merchandisers and residential grade refrigerator/freezer combinations. This segment of the market uses about eight percent of refrigeration energy use.

The chart presents a breakdown of energy use in the commercial sector for these refrigeration applications. Significant opportunities exist for energy efficiency improvements in commercial refrigeration. Estimates of the overall cost-effective energy savings potential for each of these technologies are provided in the following table. The savings potential estimate is for a combination of energy efficiency improvements for each technology with payback in five years or less.²

² Energy Savings Potential for Commercial Refrigeration Equipment, U.S. DOE, 1996.

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