| | Taking ownership of the store in 2015, Mike Humphreys wanted to undertake a major renovation of the premises to ensure it appealed to the local community, whilst improving the store’s efficiency and running costs.
Following an extensive retail career, Mike moved into the convenience store business when he acquired a store in Kenninghall five years ago. Both Dickleburgh and Kenninghall carry the branding of Premier, the Booker group convenience store franchise.
When planning the Dickleburgh renovation, he originally had in mind an installation similar to Kenninghall. He said: “I spoke to my refrigeration engineer who suggested Daikin might have a better alternative.”
Solution
Accounting for 50%-70% of a typical retailer’s energy bill, refrigeration costs are a significant proportion of on-going running costs. The Carbon Trust estimates in their report “Chilling Energy Costs” that £7.5 million is spent on refrigeration per year, equating to an annual cost of £9,750 - £22, 500 per store.
With The Carbon Trust stating that a 20% cut in energy costs equates to a 5% increase in sales, an improvement in efficiency can produce significant financial gains and create a competitive business advantage.
Seeking a better solution, Mike spoke with one of Daikin’s refrigeration specialists - Paul Cornwell. Paul worked closely with Mike to gain a clear understanding of his project and requirements and in this instance Daikin ZEAS Inverter Condensing Unit and LT Booster were the most suitable energy efficient Plant for this installation.
Mike liked that the ZEAS is a compact packaged unit, only taking up 0.7 sqm of space in his rear yard - combining this with the with energy performance convinced Mike that ZEAS & LT Booster was the correct proposal.
Mike also needed an installation contractor, as his usual company were not available. Daikin offered approved accredited local contractors of which Mike chose to use Adcock Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Norwich Branch.
Important
Adrian Bonfield, Norwich branch manager of Daikin D1 partner Adcock Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. confirmed that the ZEAS option could deliver economy, efficiency, low noise levels and improved temperature control.
A leading refrigeration and air conditioning specialist, Adcock has 12 service centres covering East Anglia, the East and West Midlands, the M4 Corridor, London and the South Coast. Family owned, the Cambridge-based company has been in business for over 50 years, employing more than 250 staff.
Adrian Bonfield said: “We were also able to assure the owner that the ZEAS system would not disturb the neighbours”, an important consideration because the shop is close to residential properties. The 8hp unit is rated at 37 dB (A) at 10 metres free field of condensing unit.
“The ZEAS installation was fitted into a tight renovation programme to minimise disruption of trading and any inconvenience for customers, for whom the shop is both a focal point in the village, and a convenient source of essentials.”
ZEAS Inverter condensing units have a compact footprint ideal for convenience store installations, where storage space is a premium. Developed for the demanding store environment where loads continually fluctuate, the ZEAS unit ensures a powerful, low noise and extremely energy efficient solution for all refrigeration requirements.
Within the Dickleburgh store, the 2 Compressor 8hp ZEAS unit maintains 12m of fresh food display cases ranging in temperature between 2°C and 4°C ZEAS coupled with the Low Temperature Booster maintains the 3.2m of Frozen Food at -21°C on the same system, saving time and installation costs.
Mike Humphrey chose the Daikin refrigeration plant solution due to their design for high efficiency and low operating costs. After calculations, he saw he could save 30% in operational electrical power consumption - approximately £1,700 a year - compared to the five non-Daikin units operating in his village store in nearby Kenninghall.
He said: “What’s more, the operating cost savings resulting from greater efficiency should give me a payback for the additional capital cost of the ZEAS unit within 18 months.
“I renovated the Kenninghall store about four years ago and in retrospect I should have changed to ZEAS then. If the Dickleburgh system works as predicted, I shall certainly be looking at a similar installation at Kenninghall when the time comes.”
Compact
Using a combination of Daikin’s award-winning VRV and the latest in DC brushless inverter technology - unique within the commercial refrigeration industry ZEAS delivers high energy efficiency even under partial load conditions. This results in reduced energy consumption and running costs.
Due to its compact design, ZEAS inverter condensing units are installed leaving valuable space available to the store, a crucial benefit for convenience store owners. Incorporating inverter control allows multiple product temperature ranges to be maintained without wasting energy, and fan speeds are kept low whilst meeting cooling demand – resulting in reduced noise. For stores in more urban areas or with adjoining neighbours, sound levels can be further adjusted to suit the time of day; at night for example, maximum fan speeds can be lowered to reduce noise from 39 dB(A) to 34 dB(A) - a near 60% reduction in perceived sound with a limited loss of refrigeration capacity.
ZEAS units are factory-assembled and thoroughly tested to ensure the highest efficiencies and performance. This is a significant asset to retailers as Daikin equipment is not only pressure tested but also leak tested at three intervals of manufacturing, providing assurance that they are receiving reliable, fully tested equipment.
By seeking the advice of an expert installer, Dickleburgh Stores and Mike Humphreys now benefit from a low cost, high efficiency refrigeration solution. With a projected 30% reduction in energy consumption, the store boasts a contemporary appearance and is able to offer customers a wide range of chilled and frozen products in attractive displays. |
