Refrigeration accounts for approximately 17% of annual electricity consumption, and is the second highest expense item, after personnel, for supermarkets in the Western world.

Consequently, it is clear that any efforts aimed at reducing cold chain energy consumption not only helps the environment, but also minimises store running costs. The electricity consumption of the refrigerated cabinets that display fresh, pre-cooked or frozen products can be reduced in two main ways:

• minimising the loss of cooling towards the outside

• increasing the efficiency of refrigeration systems

The former generally involves improving the insulation around the cabinet, for example by increasing the quality and/or thickness of the cavities between the internal and external layers and using insulated glass doors for access to the goods.

For the latter, on the other hand, the tendency is to use increasingly efficient components, coupled with increasingly optimised algorithms for managing the refrigeration cycle (cooling production and distribution, defrosting), in order to deliver the same cooling capacity using less energy.

CAREL, as a supplier of refrigeration solutions, has for years been committed to improving energy performance, by investing our research into providing solutions on the market that combine the two factors mentioned above. In particular, at Chillventa 2024 we will be presenting several innovations for the food retail segment:

1. The new MPXpro, the evolution of the current top-of-the-range controller for remote cabinets and cold rooms, designed to offer customers the following three main benefits:

• Universality: compact and flexible platform capable of covering a wide range of applications

• Usability: extended and simplified user experience, consistent across the entire range

• Advanced connectivity: the cutting edge in communication performance

We therefore invite you to join the conference:

NEW CAREL MPXPRO: the evolution of the top-of-the-range
Speaker: Gianluca Caracino: 09/10/2024 from 3:40 - 4:00 PM in the specialist forum in Hall 7A, 7A-638

2. A complete solution for plug-in and semi plug-in cabinets that includes the new HeosPro controller and CAREL HPR propane rotary compressors, with the following main features:

• HeosPro controller pin-to-pin compatible with the current Heos

• latest generation connectivity via BLE, NFC, and supervisor connection via both RS485 and Ethernet 

• BLDC solution to seize the opportunities opened by the possibility of increasing propane charge in a single circuit up to 500 g

3. The offering for CO₂ has been upgraded with the introduction of the new µRack CO₂ controller for the complete management of small compact transcritical condensing units, with the following main features:

• DIN rail mounting, remote display

• Up to 2 suction lines with up to 4 compressors in total

• BLE and NFC wireless connectivity, BMS port for connection to CAREL or third-party supervisory systems via Modbus protocol

• Possibility to use the controller in stand-alone mode for the management of HPV and FGV valves only

4. A new device for the management of CAREL or third-party ejectors, to be implemented in transcritical CO₂ systems, to increase efficiency and achieve the highest energy performance. 

To learn more about these topics or to discuss the evolution of energy performance
in the retail sector in general, we will be happy to talk to you at Chillventa2024, hall 5, stand 304 and 306