High performance refrigeration cases

Grocery stores use a significant amount of refrigerated equipment including display cases, walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers. This refrigeration equipment accounts for roughly 60 percent of grocery store electricity consumption. Due to this high electric demand, a typical grocery store’s average energy costs are higher than almost all other building types at $4.00 per square foot (Bendewald, 2013).

There are several technologies that can be applied to refrigerated display cases to improve their energy performance. These include:

• Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights,
• electronically commutated (EC) motors
• anti-sweat heater controls
• permanent doors on open dairy, deli and beverage cases
• night curtains for meat and produce open cases

Although the information contained in this guide pertains specifically to refrigerated display cases, many of these conservation measures can also be applied to walk-in cooler and freezers.