Innovative Refrigeration Solution
Many of our clients have commercial food service in their operations. These clients include Restaurants,
Schools, Universities, Hospitals, Hotels and Large Corporations that have a commercial kitchen, deli, or
cafeteria.
Challenge/Opportunity
Most commercial food service environments involve many pieces of equipment operating in a harsh environment.
This equipment is required to hold temperatures within a tight tolerance usually governed by health and food
safety codes. Historically, each piece of equipment (ice machine, freezer, cooler, etc.) has been controlled
by an individual refrigeration system (compressor) that is located within the same harsh environment requiring
considerable operating costs, as well as on-going maintenance and repair or replacement. In addition, the
equipment has had a difficult time maintaining consistent temperatures that met the more stringent health and
safety codes such as NSF 7.
Solutions
FRG has engaged our clients to deal with these challenges. By acquiring equipment service history data,
combined with systems diagnostics, our engineering staff designed an innovative refrigeration system that
addressed the problems that existed with the current setup. The new system involved the elimination of
individual compressors servicing each piece of equipment and relocating the refrigeration system out of the
harsh environment. The new system consolidated refrigeration for the equipment into either a low temperature
group or a medium temperature group. Each group is serviced by a remote compressor, with an
additional compressor used as redundancy and additional capacity for either the low or medium temp group.
The new system has provided the ability to reduce the amount of equipment, as well as its associated operating
and R & M costs, and has provided a more consistent means of controlling and holding temperatures that meet the
health and safety requirements. It accomplishes this while operating at a significantly improved efficiency,
lowering utility expenses.
Results
The impact and savings have been substantial. Clients have seen total cost reductions of 30-60%, as well as
improved operations.
- Elimination (virtual) of compressor failures
- Reduction in operating costs of 25-50%
- Reduction in R & M expenses up to 65%
- Improved temperature (cold) holding, within a tight tolerance
- Reduced product (food) waste
- Improved food quality