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Do Night Covers Save Energy on Refrigerated Cases?

Frontline 4 min read

Econofrost night covers pulled down over open meat cases after closing

Open refrigerated cases stay exposed to ambient store heat and light while the store is closed. Econofrost night covers shield the open face of the case during those hours, and a utility test measured how much that shielding cuts a case's refrigeration load.

What a night cover is

A night cover, also called a night blind or night curtain, is a heat-reflective woven aluminum cover for an open refrigerated case. Staff close the cover at the end of the day and open it in the morning. While it is closed, it shields the case and the perishable food inside.

How much energy it saves

Southern California Edison tested low-emissivity aluminum shields on a multi-deck dairy case at its Refrigeration Technology and Test Center and published the results as "Display Case Shields Reduce Supermarket Energy Use." With the shields closed for six hours overnight, the case's refrigeration load fell 8.5% and compressor power fell 9%. With the shields closed for a 24-hour holiday, refrigeration load fell 41% and compressor power fell 36%.

Econofrost's site, citing that testing, states that the covers cut energy expenditure by 36% for every hour they are in use. In the Edison report, 36% is the drop in compressor power during the 24-hour holiday test. These figures apply to the covered cases, not to total store energy, and the savings depend on the covers being closed, which is why consistent use by closing staff matters. For scale, ENERGY STAR notes that refrigeration can take up to 40% of a grocery store's total energy.

What it does for the product

In the Southern California Edison test, average product temperature was 3°F lower on the upper shelves and 5°F lower on the lower shelves while the shields were closed, and stayed lower for up to 15 hours after the shields were opened.

Which cases can take a night cover

Econofrost covers are made for open refrigerated multi-deck display cases, coffin- and bunker-style cases, island merchandisers and refrigerated grab-and-go cases. The three series differ in how they mount and which cases they fit:

  • 9000 Series Cassette: designed to be retrofitted to refrigerated display cases from manufacturers including Hillphoenix, Hussmann, Kysor Warren, Arneg, Structural Concepts, Zero Zone, Master-Bilt and Borgen. Its extruded aluminum housing mounts to the case, so the cover can be added to an existing case from the outside.
  • 9600 Series Traverse: shares the 9000 Series features without the extruded aluminum housing. It installs inside the case canopy. Econofrost describes it as a direct replacement for 4-foot and 6-foot factory-installed night covers on Hillphoenix and Kysor Warren cases, and it is also used for specific retrofit applications where there is canopy room.
  • XL Series: designed for Hussmann Excel cases. Hussmann installs night cover brackets in its Excel cases whether or not the cases originally include covers, so the XL fits those factory brackets with no tools required. It also replaces original Hussmann covers on Excel cases.

Choosing the right series

Start with the case. If it is a Hussmann Excel, the XL Series is the match. If you want a cover that mounts to the outside of an existing case, choose the 9000 Series Cassette. If the case has canopy room, or is a Hillphoenix or Kysor Warren case with a 4-foot or 6-foot factory-installed night cover, choose the 9600 Series Traverse. Frontline's Econofrost collection page carries an ordering guide for choosing the series.

Case-selection and operating checklist

  • Identify the case manufacturer and exact model for every open case.
  • Note whether the installation calls for an exterior cassette or a cover inside the canopy.
  • Check whether factory-installed brackets are present.
  • Record the matched series and quantity for each case type.
  • Add the covers to the closing and opening checklists.
  • Have staff report worn covers or mounting problems.

Shop Econofrost night covers

Sources

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