HVAC and commercial refrigeration in Florida occupy a large part of utility bills in this state—especially in the summer. As energy prices rise, this problem only becomes worse. Fortunately, there are ways to manage energy that do not involve turning off your air conditioning! Here are six solutions for energy management so you can save money at your commercial site:

• Energy management controllers: Consider this the brain of your energy management strategy. Energy management controllers give you a central control for managing all energy use, whether attached to refrigeration, defrosting or air conditioning. It can alert you to energy drains and show you where demand increases. Once you are aware of your situation, you can adjust your energy use or enable the controller to make allowances. Many commercial properties benefit from the installation of this device alone.
• Micro-channel condenser coils: Refrigerant charging is an energy-intensive process. When summer heat begins, this becomes more draining, especially since freezers, refrigerators and air conditioners are working harder at the same time. Changing out condenser coils with these micro-channel models saves you up to 40 percent on refrigerant charging. You can add variable speed fan motors, too, which saves you money while helping you behave nicer to the environment.
• New cooler doors: If you still have old-school doors on your refrigerator cases, it is time for an upgrade! New glass reach-in doors are designed to contain cool temperature despite constant access by your customers and employees. They are better insulated and offer stronger door seals. Even if you have energy leaks from endless use, these features make up for it by minimizing waste when the doors are closed.
• LED lighting: You often hear about LED lighting for outdoor lights and office buildings, but it also helps with walk-in coolers and freezers. This one change is significant; if you keep display cases closed when not in use and add LED lights, your energy savings increase by 65 percent. In many cases, the LED lights will already fit into your current equipment. If not, the minor adjustments will pay for themselves in no time.
• ECM fan motors: PSC fan motors are notorious energy hogs. It has been long accepted that refrigeration is expensive, and this technology has been tolerated due to a lack of alternatives. This is no longer the case! ECM fan motors reduce your energy consumption by 67 percent, which makes a noticeable difference. You do not have to upgrade your equipment entirely, but merely replace a few problematic parts.
• Good sense: Even with a commercial site full of energy equipment and upgrades, you cannot forget the human element. Waste and expense is still possible if employees leave coolers open, prop open commercial freezers or use refrigerators or freezers to cool food. In addition to embracing the latest technology, work out some sensible policies for energy management, too.

5 Star Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc. works throughout the state providing energy management solutions for commercial HVAC and commercial refrigeration in Florida. Call us today if you would like assistance lowering your utility bills.