In recent years, the energy consumption by refrigeration in Hong Kong has increased substantially. To address this problem and mitigate the worsening effects of climate change, WWF-Hong Kong conducted the city’s first-ever study of the energy efficiency of commercial display refrigerators. The results found that installing a glass door on an open refrigerator can reduce power usage by up to 50 per cent and keep food in a safe, cool environment. WWF suggests that all stores immediately install doors or curtains on their existing open display refrigerators to fight climate change.
 
According to figures from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the total energy consumed by refrigeration in 2013 increased by 29 per cent over ten years – the highest rate of increase among all energy end-uses. At the same time, commercial refrigerators are not included in the current energy efficiency labelling scheme, providing no incentives for the government or retailers to improve the energy performance of these devices.
 
In search of a solution to this problem, WWF conducted an open vertical display refrigerator study using a refrigerator model commonly found in many convenience stores. Power consumption and internal temperature measurements were recorded under three scenarios: when the refrigerator had a sliding glass door installed, when the refrigerator had no door at all, and finally when the refrigerator had a transparent plastic curtain installed.
 
The results showed that using refrigerators with sliding glass doors reduced electricity consumption by up to 50 per cent, while refrigerators with transparent plastic curtains used 35 per cent less power than open refrigerators.
 
In the scenario where the refrigerator temperature was pre-set to between 3.5 and 6.5°C – i.e. an average of 5°C (as required by the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code) – the open display refrigerator failed to maintain the 5°C level over 94 per cent of the research period. Using the same settings, refrigerators with a door or curtain managed to sustain a lower average temperature. However the actual temperature still exceeded the pre-set temperature over 65 to 70 per cent of the research period, illustrating that monitoring the pre-set temperature alone cannot ensure a safe, cool environment in which to store food and beverage items.
 
“Even children know to close the fridge door to keep food cool and save electricity. Ironically, this precise problem in commercial refrigerators has been overlooked by customers, stores and even the government” said Prentice Koo, Assistant Manager for Climate Policy and People for WWF-Hong Kong. Koo suggested that the Hong Kong government should look at this issue from the viewpoint of its Energy Saving Plan, published earlier this year.
 
WWF recently conducted a spot check of 13 different brands’ retail stores across Hong Kong. Over 60 per cent of the refrigerators viewed were without either doors or curtains. WWF suggests that all stores immediately install doors or curtains on their existing open display refrigerators. The government should also prioritize the creation of an energy efficiency labelling scheme for commercial refrigerators.
 
“By installing doors on refrigerators, businesses can benefit from lower operational costs and improved food safety. To showcase that they are taking their responsibilities to their customers and the environment seriously, stores should consider installing fridge doors to reduce GHG emission as soon as possible,” commented C.W. Cheung, Senior Head of the Climate and Footprint Programmes at WWF-Hong Kong.
 
Over the coming six months, WWF will conduct a “fridge census” which will further investigate the usage of open display refrigerators, collect customers’ opinions, and invite retail stores for discussions on improving the energy efficiency of their refrigeration processes.