Commercial and retail
refrigeration equipment
A guide to equipment eligible for
Enhanced Capital Allowances
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment
2
Contents
Introduction
03
Background
03
Setting the scene
03
Benefits of purchasing ETL listed products
04
Commercial and retail refrigeration
equipment eligible under the ECA scheme
04
Cellar cooling systems
04
Commercial service cabinets
05
Refrigerated display cabinets
05
Curtains, blinds, doors and covers for
refrigerated display cases
06
Refrigeration compressors
07
Evaporative condensers
07
Refrigeration system controls
08
Further information
09
Cover image courtesy of Foster Refrigerator.
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment
3
Introduction
Setting the scene
Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECAs) are a straightforward
way for a business to improve its cash flow through
accelerated tax relief. The scheme encourages businesses
to invest in energy saving plant or machinery specified in
the Energy Technology List (ETL) to help reduce carbon
emissions, which contribute to climate change.
Retail food outlets in the UK are responsible for around
3% of total electrical energy consumption and 1% of
total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with major retail
food outlets alone responsible for around four million
tonnes (Mt) of CO2e annually. A large proportion of these
emissions can be attributed to refrigeration and, therefore,
improving the efficiency and reducing emissions from
refrigeration units could provide significant carbon savings1.
The ETL is a register of products that may be eligible for
100% tax relief under the ECA scheme for energy saving
technologies1. The Carbon Trust manages the list and
promotes the ECA scheme on behalf of government.
This leaflet gives an overview of commercial and retail
refrigeration equipment specified on the ETL and
illustrates the reductions in energy bills that can be
realised by investing in qualifying ETL energy saving
equipment over non-qualifying equipment.
Background
The ETL comprises two lists: the Energy Technology
Criteria List (ETCL) and the Energy Technology Product
List (ETPL). The ETCL defines the performance criteria that
equipment must meet to qualify for ECA scheme support;
whereas the ETPL is the list of products that have been
assessed as being compliant with ETCL criteria.
Further information
For more information visit www.carbontrust.com/
resources/reports/advice/technology-and-energymanagement-publications or download the Carbon
Trust’s Refrigeration systems technology guide
(CTG046).
1
2
The proportion of electricity used by commercial and retail
refrigeration equipment is significant for most end users.
Examples2 include:
• Around 50% of the electricity consumption of
supermarkets.
• Around 70% or more of the electricity consumption of
smaller shops.
• Around 90% of the electricity consumption of cold
store operators.
• Around 30% of the electricity consumption of pubs
and clubs.
There is often a large variation in the energy consumption
of refrigeration equipment. For many of the ECA categories,
the most energy efficient products listed use at least 30%
less energy than the less efficient, unlisted products.
Did you know?
Energy efficient systems are often more reliable.
For example, all retail display cabinets and
commercial service cabinets listed on the ETL
meet retail temperature requirements and, if
used correctly, will keep food at the optimum
temperature. In addition, efficient systems tend
to not work as hard, and therefore break down
less frequently.
The Carbon Trust’s ‘Refrigeration road map’, (CTG021), March 2012.
The Carbon Trust’s ‘Refrigeration systems technology guide’, (CTG046), July 2011.
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment
Benefits of purchasing
ETL listed products
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment products
listed on the ETL are energy efficient, particularly when
compared to older versions of the same technology.
An average site3 can potentially achieve significant energy
savings on refrigeration electricity use through the
purchase of ETL listed commercial and retail refrigeration
equipment, when compared to non-listed equipment.
The cost savings that can be achieved vary with the type
of product. Some listed products are components, such as
night blinds, whereas others are complete systems, such
as cellar cooling equipment. In the case of components,
savings of up to 30% can be made when using ETL
listed products. For whole systems, it may be possible
to achieve savings in excess of this. When replacing
equipment, businesses are often tempted to opt for that
with the lowest capital cost; however, such immediate
cost savings can prove to be a false economy. Considering
the life cycle cost before investing in equipment can help
reduce costs and improve cash flow in the longer term.
The ECA scheme provides businesses with 100% first
year tax relief on their qualifying capital expenditure.
This means that businesses can write off the whole
cost of the equipment against taxable profits in the year
of purchase. This can provide a cash flow boost and an
incentive to invest in energy saving equipment, which
could carry a price premium when compared to less
efficient alternatives.
4
Commercial and retail refrigeration
equipment eligible under the ECA scheme
Cellar cooling systems
Cellar cooling systems maintain an indoor (cellar)
environment at 10-12ºC – a condition suitable for the
storage of chilled beverages. They are used in public
houses, restaurants and hotels, and can be packaged,
split or remote. The equipment listed on the ETL has
a capacity between 2kW and 12kW, and therefore
encompasses most cellar applications.
There are three types of cellar cooling system:
• Split systems with the evaporator in the cellar and the
condensing unit external (usually outside) are the most
common type.
• Packaged systems, where all the components are in
one unit that is fitted through the wall.
• Remote systems are the least common type and
comprise an evaporator in the cellar connected to an
external compressor unit (often located in a plant room),
with the heat rejected via a remote condenser outside.
Figure 1 Condensing unit in which the compressor
and condenser are located, mounted outside the cellar
Important
Businesses purchasing equipment must check
the ETPL at the time of purchase in order to verify
that the named product they intend to purchase
is designated as ECA approved. Commercial and
retail refrigeration equipment that meets the ETL
eligibility criteria but is not listed on the Energy
Technology Product List (ETPL) at the time of
purchase is not eligible for an ECA.
Image courtesy of Hubbard Products Ltd
Figure 2 Evaporator and expansion device located
inside the cellar
Image courtesy of Hubbard Products Ltd
3
An average
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site would possess a range of equipment, particularly including remote equipment, which is usually bespoke, with components bought
separately and installed and commissioned on site.
ECA-listed product information.
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment
5
Using the baseline scenario below, the potential financial
(£), energy (kWh) and carbon savings (tonnes CO2) have
been calculated for the installation of an ETL listed splittype cellar cooling system.
Using the baseline scenario below, the potential financial
(£), energy (kWh) and carbon savings (tonnes CO2)
have been calculated for the installation of an ETL listed
commercial service cabinet.
Baseline scenario:
Baseline scenario:
• Installation of a 6kW ETL listed cellar cooling system
in place of a non-listed system of the same size.
• Installation of an ETL listed single door cabinet for
chilled food in place of a non-ETL listed equivalent.
• Electricity price of 9p/kWh.
• Electricity price of 9p/kWh.
For the installation of an ETL listed cellar cooling
system the potential annual savings are calculated as:
• £571.
For the installation of an ETL listed commercial
service cabinet the potential annual savings are
calculated as:
• 6,346kWh.
• £79.
• 3.3 tonnes CO2.
• 880kWh.
• 0.46 tonnes CO2.
Commercial service cabinets
Commercial service cabinets are appliances which have
one or two solid doors and are used for the storage of
food and beverages in commercial kitchens. They hold
chilled food at between -1ºC and +5ºC and frozen food
at between -18ºC and -15ºC.
Commerical service cabinets are integral systems.
The evaporator is either inside the cabinet, or immediately
above it so that the cooled air flows directly into the cabinet.
The evaporator is coupled to the condensing unit which
is usually located at the top of the cabinet. Cabinets with
single and double doors, larder and chest type, counter and
under counter models for the storage of chilled and frozen
food are listed on the ETL.
Figure 3 Commercial service cabinet
Courtesy of Foster Refrigerator
Refrigerated display cabinets
Refrigerated display cabinets exhibit food and beverages
to best effect for retail purposes. The cabinet incorporates
one or more evaporator/expansion device combinations
which are either supplied by liquid refrigerant from an
integral condensing unit, or from a remote system.
All the common types of cabinet are listed on the ETL,
including multi decks, chest freezers, upright freezers
with glass doors and serve-over cabinets. They cover a
wide range of storage temperatures from frozen food
at -18ºC, to chilled food at +5ºC and at +10ºC.
Figure 4 Multi deck display case connected to a
remote system
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment
Using the baseline scenario below, the potential financial
(£), energy (kWh) and carbon savings (tonnes CO2)
have been calculated for the installation of an ETL listed
refrigerated display cabinet.
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Figure 5 Refrigerated unit with night blinds
Baseline scenario:
• Installation of an ETL listed 2.5m open-fronted chilled
food cabinet in place of a non-listed product of the
same size.
• Electricity price 9p/kWh.
By installing an ETL listed refrigerated
display cabinet the potential annual savings
are calculated as:
• £184.
• 2,044kWh.
• 1.1 tonnes CO2.
Curtains, blinds, doors and covers for
refrigerated display cases
Many refrigerated display cases are open-fronted, which
significantly increases the heat load on the refrigeration
system. There are various components available that can
be added to reduce the heat load. These include:
• Strip curtains – overlapping, transparent plastic strips
that fit permanently to the open front of display cases.
• Doors - sliding or hinged transparent doors that fit
permanently to the open front of display cases.
• Covers (bubble lids) – rigid plastic covers that fit
permanently to the top of open freezers.
• Blinds – roller-type blinds fitted to the front
of open cabinets and may incorporate a motorised
control system.
The use of curtains, doors and covers reduces the heat
load on the system at all times. In all cases the variation
in product temperature will be less when such items
are fitted. To be effective in reducing the heat load, and
therefore improving energy efficiency, they should be
fitted correctly.
Using the baseline scenario below, the potential financial
(£), energy (kWh) and carbon savings (tonnes CO2) have
been calculated for the installation of ETL listed blinds.
Baseline scenario:
• Installation of ETL listed night blinds fitted to a 2.5m
open-fronted multi-deck system storing chilled products
in a typical independent store.
• The daily energy use of the system before night blind
installation is 35.3kWh.
• Store assumed to be open for 12 hours per day.
• Blinds used when the store is not trading.
• Electricity price is 9p/kWh.
For the installation of ETL listed night blinds, the
potential annual savings are calculated as:
• £464.
• 5,154kWh.
• 2.7 tonnes CO2.
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment
7
Refrigeration compressors
Evaporative condensers
The compressor in a refrigeration system compresses the
refrigerant gas from the low pressure of the evaporator
to a higher pressure so it can condense in the condenser,
thus rejecting heat to ambient air or water. It is the major
energy user in a refrigeration system.
Condensers are used in a refrigeration system to liquify
the refrigerant gas discharged by the compressor.
Most condensers used are air-cooled – i.e. ambient air is
used to remove the heat from the condensing refrigerant.
In an evaporative condenser, the gas to be condensed
flows through a coil which is continually wetted on the
outside by recirculated water. Air is drawn over the coil,
evaporating some of the water. This improves the rate at
which heat is rejected from the refrigerant gas, allowing it
to condense at a lower temperature relative to the
air temperature.
The most common compression methods are included on
the ETL:
• Reciprocating – where pistons in bores compress the
refrigerant gas.
• Rotary scroll – where an orbiting scroll moves against a
fixed scroll, thus continually compressing the gas.
• Screw – where one or two screws mesh together to
continually compress the gas.
The compressor and motors are housed either in a
hermetic enclosure which is welded tight, or in a semi
hermetic enclosure which has gasketed removable
cylinder heads, base plates and end covers.
The efficiency of the different compressor types vary with
the installation. One that is most efficient on a frozen food
system may not be the most efficient for chilled food.
The actual energy consumption of a compressor will
vary from that shown because the compressor will be
operating at different conditions. To get the best efficiency
it must be matched appropriately with the evaporator and
condenser, and must be correctly controlled.
Using the baseline scenario below, the potential financial
(£), energy (kWh) and carbon savings (tonnes CO2)
have been calculated for the installation of ETL listed
refrigeration compressor.
Baseline scenario:
• Installation of an ETL listed compressor with the highest
available coefficient of performance (COP) to meet a
load of 12kW in a commercial refrigeration system.
• Electricity price is 9p/kWh.
By installing an ETL listed compressor, the
potential annual savings are calculated as:
• £634.
• 7,047kWh.
• 3.7 tonnes CO2.
An evaporative condenser has two advantages over an
air-cooled condenser:
• The evaporation of water is more effective at removing
heat than dry air.
• The heat is rejected against the wet bulb ambient
temperature rather than the dry bulb. The wet bulb
temperature is up to 8ºC lower than the dry bulb
in hot weather.
This means that evaporative condensers allow
refrigeration systems to operate with lower head
pressures and higher efficiencies than can be achieved
using air-cooled condensers or water-cooled condensers.
Evaporative condensers must be kept clean and the fans
and water pumps must be operational to ensure optimum
performance. In addition, the water must be treated to
prevent legionella formation.
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment
8
Figure 6 Diagram showing typical evaporative
condenser operation
2
9
6
3
10
7
4
1
5
1. Air in
2. Air out
3. Vapour in
4. Liquid out
5. Cold water basin
Refrigeration system controls
Refrigeration system controllers vary enormously
in function and complexity. The simplest control is a
thermostat that just controls the temperature of the
cooled space. More complex systems, such as those
with multiple compressors, require more sophisticated
control. When used in the right way, these controls can
significantly reduce the amount of energy a refrigeration
system uses.
The ETL currently includes:
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6. Water distribution system
7. Coil
8. Spray water pump
9. Eliminators
10. Optional extended surface.
Using the baseline scenario below, the potential financial
(£), energy (kWh) and carbon savings (tonnes CO2)
have been calculated for the installation of an ETL listed
evaporative condenser.
Baseline scenario:
• Installation of an evaporative condenser in place of an
air-cooled condenser on a system with 500kW heat
rejection.
• The minimum condensing temperature in both
systems is 20ºC.
• System management units or packages consisting of
one or more control units or modules that are designed
to optimise an entire refrigeration system, including
the operation of refrigeration compressors, evaporators
and condensers.
• ‘Add-on’ controllers that are designed to be used in
conjunction with a specific system management unit
or package, and enable the operation of additional
refrigeration compressors, evaporators and condensers
to be optimised.
Using the baseline scenario below, the potential financial
(£), energy (kWh) and carbon savings (tonnes CO2)
have been calculated for the installation of refrigeration
system controls.
Baseline scenario:
• Installation of system manager controls with suction
optimisation at a supermarket running 25 cabinets
and three cold rooms.
• Electricity price is 9p/kWh.
For the installation of system manager controls,
the potential annual savings are calculated as:
• Fan and pump power are assumed to be the same for
both condenser types.
• £3,702.
• The cost of water treatment for the evaporative
condenser is not included.
• 21.6 tonnes CO2.
• 41,133kWh.
• Electricity price is 9p/kWh.
Information for purchasers
By installing an ETL listed evaporative condenser,
the potential annual savings are calculated as:
• £7,368.
• 81,866kWh.
• 42.9 tonnes CO2.
For further information about the ECA scheme,
the Energy Technology List (ETL) and other
Technology Information Leaflets in the series
please visit http://etl.decc.gov.uk/etl or contact
the Carbon Trust on +44 (0)300 330 0657 or
email ECAQuestions@carbontrust.co.uk.
Commercial and retail refrigeration equipment
9
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