Primary energy usage in commercial refrigeration is one of the highest operating expenses in cold storage – maintaining desired temperatures 24/7. Electric Utility charges are based on two factors: overall consumption (the total amount of electricity consumed in a given month) and peak demand (highest capacity or kW required for a 15-minute interval during the billing cycle). Since peak demand rates are higher, charges can account for more than 70% of the total energy costs. It is, therefore, critical to minimize run-time during these hours. Optimizing energy usage in cold storage facilities becomes imperative to reducing expenses, as well as improving food safety.

Our BioPCM® based solutions allow customers to shift their energy usage without disrupting their operations. During off-peak hours, the refrigeration in the warehouse uses lower-cost electricity to freeze the BioPCM®. During peak hours, the BioPCM® absorbs and stores the heat infiltration in the freezer – drastically reducing the time refrigeration systems need to run, thereby lowering peak energy usage, while maintaining the required temperature to ensure food quality and safety.