11 p.m. — and the lights are still on in supermarkets. Evening hours have become just as commonplace as reaching for a frozen pizza. With an average annual energy consumption of 46 billion kilowatt-hours, food retail is one of the most energy-intensive industries in Germany.*. Refrigeration is by far the biggest electricity consumer, accounting for 41%. While some stores are beginning to shorten their opening hours in response to the energy crisis, Wiesbaden-based Eckelmann, a specialist in refrigeration and building management technology, is researching energy-saving concepts for the future and has already developed concrete solutions. We spoke with Thomas Behr, Head of the Refrigeration and Building Management Technology Business Unit, member of the management team, and authorized signatory at Eckelmann AG.
What should energy-conscious consumers look out for?
Customers should always be critical when they feel cold in the refrigerated section — it is a sure sign that the refrigeration technology is not operating at an optimal level.
What will the supermarket of the future look like?
Connected and digital — the goal is to store energy and make it available only when it is needed. Setpoints are adjusted according to demand in order to match output to actual requirements. At the same time, photovoltaic systems supply their surplus energy, while refrigeration systems use their waste heat to heat the concrete core of buildings.
The digital supermarket of the future will remind operators proactively and well in advance about maintenance and service intervals. A key advantage is AI-supported diagnostics, which make it possible to intervene quickly when necessary.
One solution is automated and therefore intelligent, web-based alarm and fault management. Automated temperature logs collect data across equipment and stores, enabling rapid responses when deviations occur.
How can digitalization and automation create energy transparency and unlock savings potential?
Eckelmann offers intelligent, high-performance tools that effectively relieve employees of routine tasks. Automated digital solutions provide answers to the growing challenges facing the energy sector.
With the VCC 500, we offer a powerful solution for precise temperature control in refrigerated display cases and cold rooms. A particular highlight is the freely configurable use of the VCC 500’s control functions: precision and intelligence for individual applications and flexible system combinations.
The focus is always on electricity consumption, longevity, and CO₂ footprints. The products in the Virtus Line create an economically attractive system that combines long service life with efficient control functions. The line includes hardware and software for automating refrigeration systems, refrigerated display cases, and cold rooms. The “Virtus Line” product family includes Virtus Pro, Virtus Caelum, and Virtus Tectum Grid.
In addition, strategic investment in preventive HACCP makes it easier to provide continuous documentation that the cold chain has remained uninterrupted and thus ensure compliance with legal requirements.
The overarching goal: sustainably reduce energy consumption by making understandable adjustments to setpoints — without introducing unnecessary complexity.
Which solutions from Eckelmann’s portfolio are ideal for this?
Reliable control systems help reduce operating costs, ensure sustainable operation of equipment, and make it possible to respond flexibly to new regulatory requirements over the long term.
With the forward-looking integration functions of our Virtus Caelum management system, all relevant information is visualized in a customized, clear, and transparent way — from current temperature and status readings to manufacturer and firmware data, alarms, time-series data, and HACCP documentation.
When is the right time to invest?
The right time is now! While consumers are looking forward to the summer season with ice cream, barbecue foods, deli salads, and herb baguettes, we are already looking ahead to the retail industry’s Christmas season, when the majority of the year’s sales are generated.
High customer traffic and high sales volumes mean that doors are opened frequently, while the store’s heating system is working against the refrigeration system. By combining building and refrigeration technology from a single source, Eckelmann controllers prevent unnecessary energy consumption — they take into account both the refrigeration system’s load and the heating demand.
All optimization measures should be completed by the time the peak sales season begins at the latest.
In summary: What does the retail sector need to do to significantly reduce energy consumption in supermarkets? And what are the strategic projects for the future?
We are partners to food retailers and refrigeration companies when it comes to building energy-optimized stores and operating their systems as efficiently as possible. Automated processes and digitalization identify deviations and provide equipment manufacturers with recommendations for action without delay, helping to reduce operating costs over the long term. Eckelmann supports this with compound control systems and efficient heat-recovery controls that are highly regarded by retailers.
The path to an energy-efficient supermarket lies in making ideal use of energy that is already available on-site — for example, through heat recovery, which uses waste heat from refrigeration systems to heat the store.
*Study by the Cologne-based EHI Retail Institute.