Danfoss: the Smart Store Solution
With increasing competition and decreasing margins, food retailers are searching for new ways to secure profitability. Danfoss, a leading producer of cooling solutions, has launched the Smart Store solution, which allows retailers to achieve optimal performance and save money on energy.
Energy consumption is one of the biggest cost drivers in supermarkets. Danfoss Smart Store solution enhances food safety and brings down the energy bill by integrated control of refrigeration, HVAC, lighting and other applications, connecting and optimizing supermarket from case to cloud.
For example, compressor packs typically account for 30-50% of a store’s energy consumption. Multiple studies have shown that compressors only need to run at full speed about 10% of the time in order to meet demands. The rest of the time, compressors can run lower speeds and still deliver the right level of cooling. Frequency converters and suction pressure optimizers are some additional measures that can save up to 30% on a store’s energy bill. By adding heat reclamation to the compressor pack, the savings can be even bigger.
Smart Stores save energy inside and out
The Smart Store comprises several features that significantly reduce the energy used by refrigerated display cases and freezers. Adaptive superheat—using electronic evaporators and valves to ensure that the level of refrigeration meets the exact needs of the system—can save up to 12% when compared to more traditional methods.
Increasing the energy efficiency inside the store, however, is not the only way to achieve cost savings and environmentally friendly solutions. Flexibility in energy demand, or smart grid integration, can also be a part of the solution. Compressor load shedding in supermarkets can reduce energy demands by as much as 80% for short periods of time.
CO2 systems with heat reclaim are part of the Smart Store solution
Supermarket refrigeration has been in the environmental limelight for years. Leakage rates of up to 30 percent from supermarkets’ refrigeration systems pose a serious threat to the climate and EPA regulations and conventional HFC refrigerants are being phased out. Among refrigerant alternatives, CO2 is emerging as one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly solutions.
To date, more than 7,000 Danfoss transcritical CO2 systems are in operation in European supermarkets and we expect to see similar developments in the US new EPA regulations are implemented. Furthermore, innovative technologies open new opportunities for the application of CO2 in warmer climates and with ever higher efficiencies.
Thinking ahead with big data
Big data opens a new world of opportunities for food retailers to improve revenue streams, control costs, and drive change in business and delivery models. According to a McKinsey* study, retailers can improve operating margins—from shop floor to technical installations—by up to 60% by using big data.
“What we’re seeing is centered on connectivity between building management, controls, energy consumption, and in some areas, water usage,” said Peter Dee, Sales & Services Director of Danfoss North America. “The Smart Store solution allows retailers to meet their store’s needs, while adhering to the demands of their state or region.”
Among others, continuous data collection and analysis enable automatic HACCP reporting and on-going optimization of energy efficiency. Smart Store offers Electronically Delivered Services (EDS) to optimize daily operations and free up resources in store and chain management.
*McKinsey Global Insitute, “Big data: The next frontier for innovation, competition, and productivity”, 2011
Facts about the Danfoss Smart Store
The Danfoss Smart Store solution is based on more than 30 years of close cooperation with a global community of food retailers through ADAP-KOOL® solutions and more than 80 years in the HVAC industry. The Smart Store solution is operating in more than 5,000 stores worldwide and the proven savings of up to 50% per store.
With more than 50,000 food retail installations worldwide, Danfoss leads the development of integrated Smart Store control solutions. 250 food retail specialists engineer the solutions of tomorrow and provide consultancy to help find the right store solution.
“The Smart Store is a thorough turn-key solution,” said Dee.
For more information about Danfoss Smart Store visit our Smart Store site.
For more information:
Henry S Steffensen
Regional Segment Manager
hss@danfoss.com
Related links: smartstore.danfoss.com
Danfoss engineers technologies that enable the world of tomorrow to do more with less. We meet the growing need for infrastructure, food supply, energy efficiency, and climate-friendly solutions. Our products and services are used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, motor control, and mobile machinery. We are also active in the field of renewable energy as well as district heating infrastructure for cities and urban communities. Our innovative engineering dates back to 1933 and today, Danfoss is a world-leader that employs more than 24,000 people and serves customers in more than 100 countries. We are still privately held by the founding family. Read more about us at www.danfoss.com.
