Crossfire LED Lighting System for Commercial Refrigeration Applications

SCHOTT Gemtron now offers the CrossFire™ LED lighting system designed specifically for the commercial refrigeration industry.  This industry leading light output system is designed to handle the harsh cold environments for both the normal and low temp applications.  The name says it all, CrossFire™.  This patent pending design offers light pointed directly where it needs to be, at the merchandise to aid in increased product sales.

CrossFire delivers a less than two year payback on your LED investment.  Reducing compressor run time, reducing wattage, eliminating maintenance cost, while providing the most light output of any other LED on the market.

This energy efficient CrossFire™ design can save you up to 85% of your current energy cost and also remove the amount of heat that is added to your cold environment, therefore reducing compressor run times.  The SCHOTT Gemtron CrossFire™ design has an exclusive power supply integrated into the light bar.  When you add up all the benefits of the CrossFire™ LED lighting systems you will enjoy a fast payback on your lighting investment.

For more information, please download our CrossFire Data Packet – PDF. Or view the CrossFire Brochure.

Does your company manufacture a commercial refrigeration product or accessory you’d like us to feature? If so, email Kristin[at]uscooler.com with details on your product, quality images, and links to more information.

Meeting 2009 EISA Walk-in Cooler & Freezer Standards

The federal government’s EISA (Energy Independence & Security Act) standards went into effect Jan. 1st, 2009. This act was intended to improve energy efficiency within the refrigeration industry as well as many other industries. AHRI reports there have been some concerns since there are no enforcement mechanism or standard testing methods built into the act; non-compliant walk-in manufacturers will stand to benefit. These manufacturers will be able to beat compliant competitors on price (due to the lower input costs of their non-regulation walk-ins). Be sure that when buying a walk-in, you check to make sure they are EISA compliant.

The AHRI (Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute) is trying to raise awareness about what this act mandates among distributors, installers, and consumers. They have created a checklist of the standards walk-in coolers & freezers are required to meet that can be found at ACHR The News. Use this checklist to ensure the walk-in unit you are about to purchase meets the EISA standards. Read the rest of this entry »

Convenience Store Efficiency

The following article, Cooler Control, from the Convenience Store Decisions magazine, discusses ways to increase your walk-in cooler’s efficiency and decrease operating costs.

Convenience store chains can slash operating costs by as much as 10% with sound maintenance and general improvements to its refrigeration systems.

Operators looking for greater energy efficiency should cast an eye on their coolers, where centralized controls, lighting adjustments, basic ongoing maintenance and employee training can save them money.

“Coolers are typically an opportunity for improvements in maintenance and operational practices,” said Jerry Lawson, national manager for Energy Star Small Business and Congregations Network, a division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington. “With all the different types of equipment in the c-store, coolers are a key piece of the energy equation, and they are typically the most expensive to run. With the right improvements, there is an energy efficiency dollar saving opportunity.”

Where to begin? Start with the obvious.
“Keeping them clean is the biggest thing,” Lawson said. “Coolers have to breathe. Keeping those coils clean allows them to breathe; they take the air in and expel air out.”

When taking care of monthly cooler cleaning, Lawson liked to pull off the back panel and take a cloth or other type of non-steel brush to it and clean it off, then vacuum or sweep the junk up off the floor. “That’s the biggest thing to keep them running efficiently.”

Matt Lauck, director of marketing for Retail Solutions in Kennesaw, Ga., a subsidiary of Emerson Electric, said that central facility management systems can be a major tool for achieving energy efficiency in coolers. Such systems give the operator the ability to optimize energy reduction by, among other things, tracking temperatures to make sure they stay within operational norms, which obviously also has implications for food safety. “Think of it as a programmable thermostat,” he said.

Read the full article from Convenience Store Decisions

Beer Caves – The Perfect Beverage Refrigerator

Regardless if you are remodeling or building new stores, why not increase the use of your space and install a beer cave for your alcoholic beverages? Beer caves have grown to be very popular in the convenience store industry offering a bright inviting room for customers to browse their selection. Beer caves can come in any shape or size. They are all custom designed to fit your plans.Consider the advantages the beer cave can provide for you and your customers.

Bright lights, glass doors and windows can make an old drab corner turn into an inviting alcoholic beverage oasis. It is proven that bright lights and colorful graphics grab people’s attention attracting more customers to the product. Customers like to see all their choices right in front of them. The beer cave consolidates all beer and alcoholic beverages in one area so it is easy for people to find what they are looking for, grab and go.

Since the majority of beer sold in convenience stores is cold, why not put your beer stock in the cave (eliminating time spent on restocking)? Instead of shoving cases of beer on the shelves that only fit a few cases, have your inventory stocked together so you will always know when you are running low.

Wouldn’t you like to be known as having the “coldest beer in town”? Customers enjoy being able to walk-in, feel the cold air and know their beer will be cold and refreshing.

U.S. Cooler can provide for all of your walk-in needs in your convenience store. A beer cave can give you the opportunity to increase sales and produce a creative, inviting destination for your customers. To get a quote on a beer cave call U.S. Cooler at 800-521-2665.