Latin America. Embraco presented a case study in which a variable speed compressor achieved 41% energy savings compared to a fixed speed that was already a high-efficiency model. Such an outcome could allow the app, a vertical supermarket freezer, to jump from label C to B in the European energy efficiency labelling system. The case study was conducted in partnership with Epta, a multinational group specializing in commercial refrigeration for retailers and embraco's long-time customer.
According to Marino Bassi, Senior Key Account Advisor at Nidec Global Appliance, who presented the Embraco case study at Atmo Europe together with Epta. "This result shows that the commercial refrigeration industry can deliver large energy savings to retailers and consequently a better total cost of ownership, with the migration of fixed-speed compressors (also known as on-off) to variable speed."
Marco Solimeo, director of Epta's Research and Development laboratory, argued: "We see increased customer awareness of energy label ratings, as long as they are disseminated and provide a clear comparison between different solutions."
He added: "Competition in this field will positively drive OEMs to privilege high-efficiency components, and variable-speed compressors play a key role in this phase."
The compressor, the difference
According to an official study conducted by the European Commission, the running costs of electricity account for 60 to 80% of the life cycle costs of all major types of commercial showcases. So studies like those presented by Embraco and Epta show how much the compressor makes a difference.
"There are different aspects on which you can act in a refrigeration equipment to improve efficiency, such as electronic glass, insulation, etc. But the biggest contribution comes from the compressor. Therefore, we believe that the adoption of variable speed is inevitable to cope with the upcoming efficiency requirements," explains Bassi.
The prospects for environmental sustainability and cost savings are part of a broader context that is driving to make energy efficiency a priority in commercial refrigeration. Since March this year, the European Commission's Ecodesign and Labelling regulations have covered commercial refrigeration appliances and created a selection of products according to their energy performance.
