A new guide from ASHRAE outlines a refrigeration commissioning process that could result in substantial savings.
Refrigeration Commissioning Guide for Commercial and Industrial Systems provides user-friendly guidance for commissioning of custom-engineered refrigeration systems in commercial and industrial facilities. The book was funded in part by the DOE through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
“Deficiencies in the system design found at start-up are not easily resolved and, as a result, maintenance managers or operators deal with unnecessary shortcomings and expenses over the life of a facility,” says Richard Royal, who served as chair of the committee that wrote the guide. “The value of commissioning is to establish a consistent stepwise process that helps get it right the first time, resulting in refrigeration systems that work right which will minimize maintenance and energy costs.”
The EPA estimates that supermarkets typically use approximately 3,000,000 kWh of electricity per year, with 60% of that energy use attributed to refrigeration. Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. predicts that commissioning in existing grocery stores would result in 7% to 25% energy savings per year. Based on these estimates, this commissioning guide, if widely adopted, would lead to substantial energy savings.
The guide is available for free download at the ASHRAE Bookstore.
