Increase Your ROI Today by Optimizing Your Refrigeration with Continuous Commissioning Using Remote Management Tools

Abstract

ABSTRACT For decades refrigeration has been the target for improving and optimizing energy efficiency. Most of the effort dealt with the mechanical side, including compressors, condensers, and the controls that manage them. Today we also see enhancements in the type of refrigerants being used. This article will focus more on the evaporator side, including temperature and defrost control, and monitoring performance by measuring evaporator coil temperature and compressor amps, which is then used to diagnose state, to recommission, and to optimize operation. This is then followed by continuous performance monitoring, known as continuous commissioning of the system. The basis for this article comes from the fact that all refrigeration systems are or should be sized to maintain temperature during the hottest day of the year. Additionally, it is common for systems to be oversized for those hot days. Depending on the size of the cooler or freezer, or the value of the product stored, many have redundant systems where either could handle the entire load. Therefore, one of the overlooked opportunities for saving energy is the evaporator fan motor (heater) that operates 24/7 even after the setpoint is achieved. This article will attempt to detail how end users have realized 30–50% energy savings through proper application of safely managing evaporator fan operation and defrost. It will also discuss end users who have taken something complicated and were able to change their own perspective and change behavior with simple, user friendly, web-based tools.