Save Energy with Doors on Medium Temperature Refrigerated Cases
Overview
Retailers continue to seek out new ways to save energy by using more efficient refrigerated display cases and associated systems. Generally, open display cases, such as traditional meat and dairy cases, use the most refrigeration system energy in supermarkets because they are subject to much higher heat loads than cases with transparent display doors. Up to 80% of the case heat load can come from air infiltration on open refrigerated cases.
One popular method to save energy is to retrofit open display cases with transparent doors. In addition to saving energy, these retrofits can also potentially save on HVAC energy use and improve shopper comfort.
In addition to the installation of doors on open refrigerated cases, the case retrofit process allows store owners the opportunity to make additional concurrent changes to the cases, including LED lighting and electronically commutated motor (ECM) upgrades, to improve their energy performance through additional capital investments at that time.
Incentives
Idaho Power offers incentives as part of the Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency program. Contact your Idaho Power Energy Advisor to get started!
Idaho Power offers a custom incentive of $0.18/kWh saved, up to 70% of the eligible cost, for case doors.
Additional refrigeration system incentives are available for lighting, auto-closers, anti-sweat heat controls, evaporator fan controls, ECM/PSC fan motors, and other retrofits.
Payback
Simple payback with the Idaho Power incentive will vary based on specifics of the project. Paybacks of two to four years are common.