(Credit: Danfoss)
Engineering company Danfoss has opened its first “Smart Store” in Denmark that will serve as both a functioning supermarket and a test center for energy-efficient technology. The climate-friendly store provides solutions to help food retailers address rising energy costs, emissions, and food loss.
Danfoss’ flagship store is expected to be about 50% more energy efficient than a typical supermarket. Solar power is the primary energy source for the store, deriving directly from 100 kilowatts of energy from solar panels on the building’s roof. The store also uses LED lighting, which uses up to 85% less electricity than incandescent bulbs. Further, doors installed on refrigerator and freezer cases will save around a third on energy use.
An even more cutting-edge solution presented in the store is its use of heat capture and reuse. Recovered heat from the supermarket’s refrigeration systems is reused to heat the store and produce domestic hot water, and additional heat is shared with residents of the surrounding town. This leads up to a 90% reduction in supermarket heating costs.
Along with conserving energy, the Smart Store will help avoid food waste coming from the facility. Currently, food waste contributes up to 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing food waste has therefore been identified as key to decarbonizing the food and agriculture industry.
Smart Store Reduces Both Emissions and Costs
The Smart Store is presented as not only a sustainable development for food retail, but implementing its technologies can also help stores save money. As large food retailers average a 1.7% profit margin, operating costs, including energy, can lead to significant savings. The EPA estimates that $1 in energy savings amounts to about a $59 increase in sales. The solutions presented by the Smart Store have a typical payback time of 3 to 4 years, making it possible for stores to see savings fairly quickly.
“We have developed this new Smart Store supermarket with partners and customers to demonstrate that it is possible to build a climate-friendly and super-efficient facility, using world-class heating and cooling technology,” said Jürgen Fischer, president of Danfoss Climate Solutions. “Our new ‘Smart Store’ proves that the future is now. This supermarket is purpose-built for the world ahead of us; a world of more urbanization, larger populations, greater energy demands, a growing need for cooling, and efficient food storage.”
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