Governor Wolf Establishes Statewide Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Goals in PA

The beauty of undertaking energy goals is that it is never just a 1:1 trade-off. There are numerous ancillary benefits, ranging from the obvious, giant elephant in the room that is the reduction of carbon emissions all the way to improved worker happiness because their employer’s heating and cooling systems run more precisely and efficiently. […]
FDA Provides an Update on the new Produce Safety Rule

As the full, national rollout of the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA)—a sweeping reform of food safety laws designed to better prevent issues as opposed to simply responding to them—continues, some of the larger regulatory pieces are taking their time in being implemented. One of these pieces, and arguably one of the most impactful […]
Energy Audits Reveal Areas Where Cold Storage Facilities Can Save Money

Cold storage facilities, the kind found in the produce, fresh foods, and floral industries, offer huge opportunities for energy savings. A recent article in Fresh Digest looks at how one company helps. It isn’t a secret that both companies and state utilities are looking for ways to make energy consumption more efficient. From state mandates, to incentives programs […]
Coolers/Freezers and Energy Efficiency 101: The 6 Types of Cold Rooms and Their Temperature Requirements

Cold storage. Refrigerated warehouse. Frozen storage. Walk-in cooler. Reach-in cooler. Walk-in freezer. Working with commercial refrigeration systems, you may see these descriptors thrown about sometimes to describe the same space. It may not be harmful to use such terms interchangeably in general conversation but when it comes to technical materials, or speaking in customer-facing situations, it’s important to be specific to leave no margin for misinterpretation […]
Compressor Short Cycling: A Hard-to-Find Energy Waster

In commercial applications, one of the most important tasks in keeping components running at their peak performance is determining what’s a cause and what’s a symptom if mechanical problems arise. The difference between knowing and not knowing could be thousands of dollars worth of diagnosis. In particular, short cycling seems to be one of those […]
Cold Storage Facilities Turn to Technology to Boost Efficiency

Technological advances in automation and data-driven management have paved the way for improved efficiency in how cold storage businesses operate. Everything from remote access to temperature settings and defrost cycles, to robotic forklifts, to high-efficiency LED lighting systems are helping these facilities better manage costs and their important systems, according to a new article in The […]
As Companies Continue to Alter Their Processes to Adhere to FSMA, Some Remain Skeptics

Originally passed in 2010, it took the next six years to develop the full breadth of the act. The FSMA was legislation driven by the Food & Drug Administration with the goal of having companies be better equipped to prevent food-borne illness as opposed to just reacting to contamination. On January 26, 2018, the industry […]
A Quick Crash Course in Suction P-Traps for HVACR

The HVAC/R industry has frequently quarreled about the topic of suction p-traps in risers – when are they necessary, where to place them, how large and how deep should the trap be? Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Each facility and each installation will have its own considerations and concerns. It’s a great idea […]
6 Ways to Ensure an Evaporator Fan Energy Efficiency Retrofit is Done Right

Here, we’ll unpack some of the ways you can make sure that your energy-efficiency retrofit doesn’t turn into a refrigeration headache! Look for a strong reputation. There is no substitute for proven real-world results. This applies to both the technology and the implementer. Make sure that the controls hardware and the implementation installer both have […]
5 Ways IoT can Enhance Your Commercial and Industrial HVACR’s Efficiency

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the hottest buzzwords these days. In the consumer sector, everything from your central heating/cooling system, to your home security, to your television viewing, and even to your kitchen appliances is gaining the ability to integrate into a user-friendly platform intended to give you control like you’ve never […]