Prof. Maidment (London South Bank University)

Rationale

This WP focuses on retail chilling and freezing. At least 40 per cent, and sometimes up to 70%, of a supermarket’s energy consumption is used directly for cooling, mainly refrigerated display cabinets (RDCs), and a further 25% of the energy is commonly used for heating, of which around a third can be required to offset cooling losses from the RDCs. The performance of the RDC and its interaction with the supermarket environment is therefore key to reducing end user energy demand in supermarkets.

Challenge /Objectives/ Deliverables

The aim is to develop supermarket RDCs that use 1/3 of the energy of existing RDCs.

Carbon Impact Potential

Savings of 4.8 million tonnes of CO2 annually in the UK with full uptake. In addition, investigations will consider the impact from the cradle to grave and this will encourage smart remanufacture and recycling, thus reducing embodied carbon impact.

Pathway to impact

The investigation will work closely with end user Asda Stores Ltd, Sainsburys, The Coop and Bond Retail Display (manufacturer) and will consider form and ergonomics, user requirements, readiness, etc. Furthermore, much of thetechnology developed here will be generic to the other temperature work packages, and it will be disseminated through SIRACH.