Jul 1, 2008 12:00 PM With Energy costs projected to rise as much
as 12% this year, and carbon footprint (total amount of
greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support
human activities) an issue of increasing importance, cold
storage facilities are taking a hard look at their energy
consumption. Facilities can save tens of thousands of dollars in
yearly electric costs, and cut harmful emissions by thousands of
tons by implementing a handful of simple, cost-effective
efficiency measures to reduce electrical consumption and have a
payback period of three years or less. There are three main
areas of “low-hanging fruit” for a cold warehouse facility
seeking to lower electric costs: refrigeration, electrical
motors, and lighting, said David Simon, chief executive officer
of Evergreen Energy Solutions, a Nevada-based an energy
consulting firm specializing in reducing electricity use and
cost (www.evergreensolves.com). Typically, refrigeration
represents the largest component of the electric bill, gene