Energy efficiency labels for refrigerated cabinets

The Energy Efficiency Label is mandatory as of July 2016. This label has been designed to promote energy efficiency, respect for the environment and to establish an accurate classification for energy consumption.

The energy efficiency label is important for both professional and domestic industries to ensure an efficient performance capacity in different environmental conditions.

The UE2015/1094 energy label helps users consciously choose the refrigerator, freezer or household appliance which ideally suits the need, by having specific objective information about energy consumption, net volume and working conditions.

What is the European Energy Label?

It is a tool developed to provide end users with clear and objective information about the energy consumption, net volume and performance level of the product.

How does it work?

The "energy label for professional refrigerated storage cabinets" comes into effect on July 1, 2016, being mandatory for the European Union (European regulation UE2015/1094). From this moment on, all professional refrigerated cabinets connected to electrical network (including those used for the refrigeration of food and feed products) must have the label showing the degree of efficiency of each model. Any equipment sold after that date must have an energy efficiency level of G or above.

As of January 1, 2018, class G equipment will be prohibited.

As of July 1, 2019, the classes admitted will be from E to A+++.

What benefits does it provide to professionals?

The professional refrigerated cabinet consumes 10 times more energy than their domestic counterparts. It helps to compare the cabinets before making a decision, the energy labeling helps to select the equipment that is going to be better for the environment and, consequently, for the business.

The label provides objective information about:

• Annual energy consumption
• Net volume (useful real capacity) of the cabinet helps to plan the ideal number and type of specific appliances for the kitchen
• Conditions in which the refrigerator or freezer will guarantee the correct preservation of food (levels 3, 4 or 5 - where 5 represents the most effective conditions of a real professional kitchen, 40ºC ambient temperature and 40% humidity)

This translates into savings on the electricity bill of up to 300 €/year for a refrigerator and 830 €/year for a freezer, and even reduce the amount of food wasted which was not stored correctly.

Why is it focused on refrigeration?

Refrigeration equipment operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It heavily influences the amount of energy used in a professional kitchen, so choosing the most efficient refrigerator cabinets is vitally important, both for reducing the impact on the environment as well as saving money in the maintenance costs of the refrigerator.

How to differentiate the professional energy label from the domestic energy label?

Professional and domestic refrigeration equipment are tested in completely different conditions: professional equipment is tested in real use situations and the environment of a working kitchen, with frequent door openings and temperatures of up to 40 °C; household appliances are tested at a temperature of only 25°C.