Frigitek Case Studies
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt -- Berwyn, PA
As the owner of a large-volume ice cream store, the owner of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt, Buck, knows that refrigeration is central to his business success. And having energy efficient freezers and refrigerators is vital if he expects to remain successful.
Which is why Buck, whose store is located in Berwyn, PA, gave a big thumbs up to Frigitek, a commercial refrigeration product that focuses on fan motor efficiency. The small controller works in conjunction with 2-speed EC (electronically commutated) motors to maximize the efficiency of a refrigeration unit and nearly double the energy savings provided by EC motors alone.
Buck’s refrigeration service company performed the install of the Frigitek controller on one of the store’s refrigeration units. Lab testing has shown that evaporator coils in a walk-in refrigerator fitted with a Frigitek controller and EC motors are usually 85% more efficient than just EC motors alone, so with the units now successfully installed it was time to put them to the test.
At high speed, the EC motors, complimented by the Frigitek controller, were pulling .68 amps, compared to the 3.47 amps that the EC motors alone were pulling. That’s an 81% reduction. At low speed, the EC motors were pulling .11 amps. That’s a 97% reduction. Overall, the Frigitek controller is helping Buck reduce his energy use by approximately 87%.
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WATANABE FLORAL, INC. --- HONOLULU, HI
For more than 60 years, Watanabe Floral has been one of Oahu’s premier providers of lei and floral arrangements. But with the high cooling loads necessary for proper storage, the company needed a way to save on operational expenses.
That’s where Frigitek comes in.
Watanabe enlisted the help of an energy services company with a branch location in their area to assess the situation, and specifically target the evaporator fan systems that cool the company’s four largest storage areas. The recommendation? Replacing the existing shaded pole motors with electronically commutated (EC) motors, which use only half the energy and put out less heat than standard motors. Then, the energy services company enhanced the new EC motors by installing a Frigitek controller, which slows down the evaporator fan speed while maintaining the correct temperature for the storage areas.
The result? The average amperage draw from the evaporator fans pre-installation hovered at about 5.5 amps. Post-installation, the fans draw about 2 amps on high speed and 0.5 amps on low speed. That’s an approximate 75% energy reduction, which equates to a savings of more than $9,000 in annual electricity bills.
That makes for a very happy client.
“Our first bill following the installation of the new motors and controls showed dramatic results,” says Watanabe CFO Leon Dodson. “In addition to the energy reduction, our walk-in coolers are quieter and colder. We couldn’t be happier with the results.”
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WORLD CLASS FLOWERS – EGG HARBOR CITY, NJ
World Class Flowers is a floral warehouse with goals of going green and saving energy. The New Jersey-based company had solar panels installed on the roof and on freestanding parking covers. Then the company decided to go one-step further in their goal “to be as neutral as possible,” according to the company’s controller.
The refrigeration motors in the facility were inefficient, and the dirty fans were creating further inefficiency. So the company decided to specifically target them.
The recommendation? Change out the warehouse’s shaded pole motors with a 2-speed electronically commutated (EC) motor and a Frigitek controller, which slows down the fan speed while maintaining the correct temperature. According to the company’s controller, the technology made sense and the ROI made the decision easy. “You can run the numbers,” he said. “It makes perfect sense.”
The result? The real-time energy monitoring is saving World Class Flowers a lot of money on operational expenses. Pre-installation analysis has shown that the company will save approximately 175,000 kWh per year, or $28,000, with a return on investment of less than two years.
And there has been unexpected perks too. Workers have noticed that the noise in the warehouse has been reduced, making for a much more pleasant place to work.