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New federal rules aim to capture energy savings. Here’s what you need to
know about them.
by
Amy Bauer
Florists in the market for walk-in coolers will find new features that
may not be immediately apparent to the eye but that eventually may be
apparent in their electric bills.
New federal rules designed to increase the energy
efficiency of walk-in coolers have been in effect since Jan. 1, part of
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which includes
standards for everything from vehicle fuel economy and biofuels to home
appliances. (See a summary at
www.energy.senate.gov/public.)
conservation via coolers
Allan Jett, sales support executive for SRC
Refrigeration, Sterling Heights, Mich., says the biggest changes are
1) requirements for higher-grade insulation, 2) more efficient
electrical motors and 3) better-insulated glass doors—triple pane versus
double pane. Other requirements include 4) more energy-efficient
lighting and 5) automatic door closers for most cooler doors. All of
these measures aim to improve performance, thereby reducing electricity
consumption.
For example, an EC (electronically commutated) motor
for the evaporator coil will run 40 percent to 60 percent less without
affecting performance, explains Richard Rosenfeld, vice president
of sales for Bush Refrigeration, Camden, N.J. The evaporator coil
is the fan unit inside the cooler and absorbs heat and distributes
humidity.
The requirements apply to newly manufactured walk-in
coolers in all industries, not just floral. They do not affect reach-in
coolers or existing walk-in coolers.
Karim Amran, vice president of Regulatory and
Research for the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration
Institute (AHRI), says the law requires performance standards by
2012 that will set minimum energy efficiency requirements. These will be
accompanied by some type of reporting mechanism that should help
florists and other buyers better compare units, Mr. Amran explains. This
could be similar to the hangtags in household appliances describing the
average kilowatt-hours of energy used.
... For the rest of the story, look to the
November 2009 issue of Florists' Review.
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