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March 2010 - Refrigeration

Huge strides have been made in refrigeration design in recent years - in reliability, ease of use, ease of maintenance, hygiene, environment-friendliness, and particularly energy efficiency. But with so many different aspects to consider, the choice in refrigeration is now perhaps harder than ever. Full article ...

WEEE

Advice to Final Users

WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The legislation took effect from 1st July 2007 and states that, under certain circumstances, the final user of a piece of electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) can get it collected and recycled at no charge at the end of its life. Full article ...

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Refrigeration running costs have improved a lot in recent years, and aspects like better insulation, new coolants and remote condensing units have served to lower running costs markedly. However, following some simple rules will help to lower your refrigeration power consumption still more, without any extra costs.

Kitchen design:
The refrigeration needs to be sited sensibly. Above all, give the equipment lots of space, so that heat can dissipate from the grills. Ensure that ventilation is efficient and effective. Locate the units in cool areas if possible - the heat generated by the fridges can be used as a source of room heating. If the room needs any extra ventilation or extraction to remove the heat, energy is doubly wasted. Blast chillers or cold stores could be sited well away from the cooking areas, in colder parts of the building, so that they work more efficiently.

Users:
Staff should be trained to use the equipment efficiently. Let hot food cool at room temperature before putting in the refrigerator or freezer - either let it cool naturally, or consider if you need a blast chiller. Similarly, don't overfill cabinets - leave room inside for internal fans to circulate air and keep food chilled properly. Don't make repeated trips to the fridge - try to work more efficiently and take out as much as you need, all at once. Shut the doors as quickly as possible. Keep door seals clean to ensure an airtight fit. Follow the defrosting routines.

Maintenance:
Make sure the units are serviced regularly, inspect door seals and don't allow ice build-up.

Catering management:
An overlooked potential for energy saving, but a significant one, is to plan menus and food buying to minimise refrigeration needs. The fresher your menu and the more ingredients you buy daily, the lower your refrigeration costs.

 

Refrigeration

Huge strides have been made in refrigeration design in recent years - in reliability, ease of use, ease of maintenance, hygiene, environment-friendliness, and particularly energy efficiency. But with so many different aspects to consider, the choice in refrigeration is now perhaps harder than ever.

There have been a succession of design advances in recent years.

Advances in hygiene concepts led to cabinets that were easier to clean, with castors to make them movable, and 'crevice-free' rounded interiors. Modular refrigeration systems, with 'slot-in' units and easier servicing, are now vying for popularity with traditional units that have 'built-in systems. (Modular systems can be quicker to maintain and repair.) Cabinet interior design has also been improved by better fan air circulation systems.

While refrigeration systems are still normally built in to the cabinets, remote condenser systems are increasingly popular for removing heat from the kitchen efficiently. Meanwhile computerised logging systems can now give easy and automatic HACCP compliance.

CFCs have now been phased out, from both the refrigerant and the insulation, and new insulation techniques are making cabinets 'greener' than ever. Many old refrigerators continue to give good service; nevertheless, the case for upgrading to a more modern one is compelling - not necessarily for ecological reasons, but in hard business terms. The typical modern refrigeration unit in 2007 is more efficient and cheaper to run than its equivalent a decade ago. And the new WEEE directive means that when you buy new cabinets, long term disposal costs are built-in.

More cabinet configurations are available for different kitchen formats - for example, with the refrigeration modules underneath the cabinets where kitchen ceilings are low, or counter refrigeration systems underneath the kitchen work surfaces.

With the huge increase in energy costs, the biggest focus now is on simple energy efficiency and low power consumption. In particular, cabinet design and insulation is proving to have the largest effects on refrigeration design.