RDM, the leading UK controls specialist, has made a significant advance in the US market following adoption of its refrigerated case controllers by food retailer Fresh & Easy.

Fresh & Easy is among a new wave of US entrants challenging traditional ways of doing things, and pioneering with the latest energy saving approaches and technology. Steve Hagen, Fresh & Easy’s director of national procurement, said: “We wanted a prototype store that was environmentally responsible and more efficient than anyone else. When we looked at Europe, where energy costs have shot way up, everybody is using case controllers and electronic expansion valves. It was impossible to find a chain not using them. I decided that was a reason for us to do it”.

The company runs 168 stores in California, Nevada and Arizona. The 14,000 sq ft convenience-style supermarkets have a greater amount of refrigeration per unit area than most supermarkets. Since opening its first store in 2007, the chain has employed RDM case controllers, supplied by US distributor and energy management software provider Verisae, linked to electronic expansion valves. The combination precisely regulates the flow of refrigerant and matches cooling output to load to improve performance and minimise energy use.

Mr Hagen says that the digital case controllers have had a significant impact on energy costs. As a result of these and other measures, Fresh & Easy stores now use about 30 per cent less energy than a typical supermarket.

The chain was concerned initially about the additional capital cost of installing case controllers. However, after calculating electrical, installation and start-up savings, it concludes that the initial investment in case controllers is less than for a conventional set-up with electrical and control system wiring routed from cases to plant rooms.

The remote diagnostic capability of RDM case controllers is seen as a key benefit. “With case controllers, you know how every case is performing,” Mr Hagen says. “The more data we get, the more energy we save, because the more things we see wrong. When there's a problem, it's hard not to notice”.

The company reports a further benefit in terms of store commissioning. Since electronic expansion valves do not have to be adjusted manually at start-up, a store can be up and running in around half the time, translating directly into cost savings and revenue.

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