The coolroom market is formed from high capacity refrigeration units, solid chambers that are mechanically and electrically tied to efficient air-cooled condensers. The unrefined models that first gave birth to the industry were built from metal rooms lined in wood and sealed by hinged doorways. Hunks of ice provided the cooling force within these early models and they were generic though functional answers during the pioneering days of food preservation. Fast forward to today, to Victoria and Australia, and the industry has been redefined by new technology.
Compact walk-in coolers and massive coolrooms in Victoria are intelligently built to hold diverse ranges of product, with each structure utilizing tailor-designed plans that satisfy every client-compiled specification. Initial properties descend from simple dimensional attributes, the capacity to store bulk product, and the subsequent cooling capabilities of condenser coils and fan modules. These are the engineering aspects of cooling but design features cover more than these functional aspects. To illustrate that point, take note of a few core features when considering a coolroom for your business:
The installation of the room necessitates enough space be provided for every component and that there be a path to the outside, a venting route to disperse of heat build-up. Also, the client needs to be informed of entryway options. Does the door need to be widened to move heavy slabs of butchered meat on a forklift truck? Perhaps a customized rapid roll door would be preferable to a sealed cold door in this instance. Are pharmaceutical products being kept on rows of tall shelves? Then a less rugged interior lining with heavy insulation is the answer, a design that uses polyethylene panels and focuses on alternative storage options. Meat or bottles, scientific studies or butcher business, hygiene is always a top concern when storing perishable content. Thus, modern temperature control solutions can be entered into the design plans, digital management control and monitoring sensors that provide reports of cooling trends and aid in energy audits.
A purpose-built coolroom solution is the only realistic service in the competitive world of cold storage. Compile a list of characteristics for the construction phase, perhaps defining whether this is a simple cooling environment or a precisely controlled freezing area. Are bottles or packages being stored? Maybe the space will hold beef or chicken, slabs of organic matter that require hooks and shelves. Tie these requirements in with your energy budget, thus allowing the expert at C & M to create the best possible cooling solution, and install that efficient cooling package quickly and expertly.
Energy is a finite resource on our planet. We live and work by this statement, recognizing that there’s no true separation between the two. Indeed, unless we all address energy-saving issues with thoughtfulness and a constant awareness of where energy is going, the act of living becomes that much harder and expensive. These core values have already been covered in past articles, but we intend to take the auditing process to the next level in this article.
Firstly, we serve the spirit of the highest energy-saving practices by underscoring the purpose of an audit. The label simply refers to the act of determining which stages of a cooling operation are resulting in loss. The ideal mathematical formula would see the energy in the form of electrical input equaling the energy used to keep your coolroom at a desired subzero temperature. Unfortunately, there are factors that cause a differential in energy consumption, wastage that has an undetermined effect on the environment. In other words, you’re using more energy than you need to when freezing your stored content. And, not surprisingly, this lost energy isn’t free. What this means to the operator of the storage unit is a rise in energy bills, a factor that’s much easier to define in comparison to environmental issues.
The ironic disconnect caused by conducting a poor energy audit typically comes from poor organization, the waste of manpower and mental energy when addressing the process. Structure eliminates this issue. Structure the audit with a documented assessment of critical issues, following the action with the evaluation of components that contain fractional energy losses. Returning to our earlier use of basic arithmetic, tiny losses add up. Therefore, while the audit may centre on the physical components of a refrigeration unit, the condenser coils and refrigerant levels of the specialized cooling assembly, also move on to the tightening of fan belts and the replacing of filters. To reiterate the point, for every broken door seal on a cooling cabinet, a film of invisible dirt is slowing a fan motor and causing a subsequent rise in energy bills. In other words, do sweat the details, at least when it comes to a competent energy audit.
If you’re eternally aware of the damage energy losses are causing to our environment, call C&M Coolroom services to conduct the energy audit. If your thoughts turn to what you consider more immediate considerations, the loss of dollars due to poor insulation or a poorly maintained cooler, the same recommendation applies, call C&M Coolroom Services for an evaluation and a professionally compiled report. But remember, you can avoid adverse situations by applying common sense. Keep your cooling equipment far from heat sources and separate the cold and hot areas of a commercial kitchen.
C&M Coolrooms can create a custom solution for your specific needs. Talk to one of team members today.
