Cold Link Africa May/Jun 2017 | Page 13

NEWS INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN ProCold awards energy efficient refrigeration T he ProCold Awards took place on 7 March at the international EuroShop fair in Düsseldorf, awarding the most innovative and efficient professional and commercial refrigeration equipment in five categories. An appliance in each of the following five categories was awarded ‘ProCold winner 2017’: 1. Vertical chilled storage cabinets 2. Beverage coolers 3. Ice-cream freezers 4. Vertical supermarket refrigerated display cabinets 5. Refrigerated glass-fronted vending machines Common to all winning products, was their high-energy efficiency compared to other products in the category and their use of natural refrigerants. Energy efficiency was confirmed through independent tests based on the latest standards and (draft) regulation for the European Energy Label within the European ProCold competition. Stamatis Sivitos, the responsible project officer from the European Commission, explains, “This award clearly demonstrates how energy efficiency is always worth pursuing and how it goes hand in hand with product innovation.” Professional cold products consume a significant amount of energy. Plug- in devices are used in almost every supermarket, hotel, restaurant, bar or canteen. An average efficient product leads to high energy-costs for the users. The energy consumption related to inefficient cold products can be reduced by 30% to 50% if the most efficient products are used. In some cases, efficient and closed products can save several thousand Euros during their lifetime. Direct users often don´t know that plug- in products consume a significant amount of energy. ProCold has shown with this product competition that manufacturers are willing and able to produce very efficient cold products. The project will continue its mission to encourage the use and the development of the most efficient products and therefore contribute to energy savings and environmental protection across Europe. The winners: Vertical chilled storage cabinets Products in this category are intended for use in professional kitchens. They meet high demands regarding food hygiene and they function well in high ambient temperatures of 30°C. Since 2016, EU regulations on Energy Label and Ecodesign cover these products. The winning model in this category is the Gram Superior Plus K 72 G. According to the technological director of Gram, ‘’It is combining a stylish exterior design with energy efficiency refrigeration based entirely on HFC free technology – securing Gram´s customers the greenest possible choice in the market place.” With an energy consumption of 285kWh/year, this refrigerator is about five times more efficient than the average product in this category. Beverage coolers Beverage coolers are procured in large numbers by food and beverage industry and branded, loaned or leased to retailers, kiosks, take-aways, canteens, sport facilities and so on. The winning model in this category is the Liebherr FKDPv 4503. “This product offers perfect performance even under extreme climate conditions. The combination of modern technical parts, high-performance and environmentally friendly refrigerants plus a precise control system makes this model very economic,” says Lucas Nerud, managing director Liebherr-Hausgeräte Lienz GmbH. The winning Liebherr beverage cooler consumes an annual amount of 449kWh, which is way below the energy consumption of an inefficient beverage cooler, ranging around 2.600kWh/year. Ice cream freezers These products are very often used in shops, kiosks, restaurants and operate in very harsh environmental conditions. Their energy consumption varies depending on their size and ranges from 450kWh a year up to more than 2 000kWh. The winning model of this category is the Liebherr GTEP 3302. Lucas Nerud, Managing Director Liebherr- Hausgeräte Lienz GmbH describes this product, “These ice cream freezers are very energy efficient and guarantee maximum cost effectiveness. The high-quality insulation, the powerful compressor and the harmonised refrigeration-components deliver the perfect cooling performance.” The product consumes 589kWh a year. In comparison, an inefficient ice cream freezer consumes four times more energy a year. Vertical supermarket refrigerated display cabinets Typical use is in supermarkets, retail, canteens and bakeries where employees access the foodstuffs. The winning model of this category is the Carrier Optimer 0948LG R290. Carrier says the product displays, ‘low operating costs because of the low energy consumption. With its harmonised design Continued on page 15 The winners at the ProCold awards. COLD LINK AFRICA • May | June 2017 www.coldlinkafrica.co.za 13