Our sector has initiated voluntary measures regarding refrigeration and heating systems. The sector proposes an exhaustive review of the temperature ranges of the refrigeration equipment and heating systems (e.g., refrigeration chambers, refrigeration walls and freezer cabinets), without jeopardising the quality or safety of products.
Trade federation FCD has committed to an energy sobriety plan, and the following best practices. To lower the temperature of heating setpoints by at least 1 degree (which represents 7% heating savings). Close the exterior doors of stores subject to technical feasibility and customer accessibility. Maintain a minimum temperature at night to avoid power peaks at 8am.
Tegut relies on natural refrigerants in their refrigerated shelves and freezers using modern CO2 refrigeration technology. By 2028, 80% of Tegut’s stores will be operated with it. Tegut stores are almost 25% below the average consumption of other German supermarkets in terms of electricity consumption in kilowatt hours per square meter.
APED member companies have an installation of refrigeration technologies, doors on refrigerated equipment, and there has been an increase in the use of energy from renewable sources and the installation of photovoltaic systems in stores. These initiatives allowed considerable energy reduction in the last 10 years (up to 30% per m2 sales area).
The sector proposes to review the temperature ranges (mainly the upper range) of the refrigeration equipment in supermarkets (refrigeration chambers, refrigeration walls and freezer cabinets), without jeopardising the food safety of the products stored in them. Generally, products with different temperature ranges can be found in the same equipment – e.g. in a dairy wall, yoghurts can coexist with fresh milk – so they are always programmed taking into account the most restrictive to guarantee the correct preservation of the food products that are stored and displayed at the points of sale. […]
Further practices carried out by FCD members are to close their shutters at night. Ventilate the space even during winter. First to renew the air and breathe better in the place of business. But also, to evacuate moisture because humid air is more difficult to heat. Install door and window sealers. Check the state of the insulation. Transform current electric radiator in a connected radiator. Replace your electric heater with a more economic one. Regulate your central heating. Heating to 17 degrees maximum in stores – adapt the temperature of the rooms according to their use. Removal of hot water in the toilet.
SOCR ČR has shared with members some best practices for heating. First, members are advised to reduce the temperature in stores, warehouses, and headquarters, as long as they remain within the gramework of hygiene standards. For example, they recommend setting the temperature to 18°C on the sales floor and 20°C in the office premises. SOCR ČR includes a possible temperature reduction for hot water within the limits of hygiene and food standards. They also give members a list of best practices in regards to doors, including a review of the opening time, a reduction in the number of open doors, and a winter door mode. Further, SOCR ČR recommends that opening hours for receiving goods should be in accordance with store opening hours. And at the start of the heating season, boiler rooms and equipment should be inspected. In some establishments, it may be appropriate to replace gas water boilers can be replaced with electric ones. In stores with a gas boiler, the air conditioning can be switched to heating mode in the winter.
HDE member Futterhaus Elmshorn, with over 400 locations is one of the largest pet retailers in Germany. Climate and environmental protection are firmly anchored goal in the corporate strategy and a matter close to the heart of management and employees. When designing new locations, energy management plays an important role right from the start. Energy-saving LED lighting concept for interior and exterior lighting, as well as aquarium lighting and energy-efficient cooling technology, the company relies on green electricity from its own photovoltaic systems.
SOCR ČR has shared with members some best practices for cooling. First, stores should seek to have more efficient temperature controls and management on cooling equipment. Stores should also use an energy-saving door curtain solution. Members are further recommended to optimize the number of cooled modules and to increase the temperature on the sales floor to 26°C in summer.
Raad Nederlandse Detailhandel has agreed on the following best practices. To keep doors closed as much as possible. Rule of thumb: If your door is open on average more than 15 minutes per hour (due to the ingress and exit of customers), an air curtain saves energy. RND advises to use the same door sign: Of course we are – OPEN – The door is only closed to save energy.
FederDistribuzione together with member companies operating in both food and non-food sectors, have defined voluntary guidelines to be applied in shops and in operations, with the aim of contributing to the common effort to contain energy consumption in the country. The voluntary guidelines regard refrigeration and heating.
HDE member Nahkauf Schramm have efficient refrigeration system, heat recovery, LED lighting: 14,500 € Energy costs saved annually. Michael Schramm rightly received the Brandenburg Energy Efficiency Prize for his climate-friendly system concept in 2018.
Comeos proposes a series of best practices to optimise cooling and heating system. Firstly, retailers should shut the doors of shops whenever possible. Secondly, stores should limit temperature in shops to 19°c.
Some Danish retailers have suggested to increase the temperature in food refrigerators by 2-3 degrees if it does not affect food safety and quality in order to save energy.
ANGED proposes to its members to replace and maintain refrigeration, air conditioning equipment, and heating systems to guarantee that these systems are working efficiently.
ASEDAS points out that the work in the retail stores could be considered light work (allowing the possibility of working at 25 degrees at non food stores).