The greatest and easiest opportunity for maximising refrigeration plant operational efficiency is at the specification and purchase phase of its life. This is where our Engineering Department can help you the most.
When buying new refrigeration plant, consideration should be given to the lifetime cost of ownership. That is, in addition to the capital cost of buying the refrigeration plant, the buyer should, in his assessment of alternative proposals, compare their operational costs. These operational costs will include: energy, maintenance and other associated costs.
Typically, refrigeration systems cost 7 to 10 times as much to run as they do to buy, mainly due to the high electricity usage of such a system.
The refrigeration plant specification should provide the operational requirements for the refrigeration plant, for sizing and selection of equipment.
The operational requirements are based on the assessment of the cooling load and the responsibility for providing accurate data, i.e. the appropriate loads and temperatures, lies with you (but we can help you determine what these would be for your system). In addition, the specification should incorporate information that defines:
- ·Compliance with design and build standards
- ·Scope of supply
- ·Energy efficiency
- ·Life cycle costs
- ·Environmental impact
- ·Information to be submitted with the tender
- ·Purchaser’s responsibilities
- ·Performance assessment
- ·Maintenance needs
When calculating the full impact of a budget with regards to a new refrigeration system, you should take into account these key factors:
- ·Capital Cost for the proposed refrigeration plant
- ·Performance calculations (energy consumption, maintenance costs, percentage down-time etc)
- ·Payback period - Payback (in years) = Capital Cost / Operation Cost (per year)
- ·Net Present Value
By designing an optimal detailed refrigeration plant for your needs, our Engineering Department takes care of all the technical aspects of your cooling requirements.
