Energy Efficiency in Commercial Refrigeration: Why Total Cost of Ownership Matters
Why energy efficiency matters
With energy costs remaining volatile, energy efficiency continues to be a key consideration for commercial kitchens. Refrigeration equipment runs 24/7 and represents a significant proportion of a site’s ongoing energy consumption, making efficient performance over time just as important as the initial purchase price.
“Initial outlay might be higher, but you get that back through energy efficiency, durability and fewer maintenance issues.”
-Dipna Anand, Brilliant Gastro.
For operators, this is increasingly shifting the conversation toward total cost of ownership. In busy kitchens where margins are tight and equipment reliability is critical, energy-efficient refrigeration can keep running costs under control while reducing pressure on day-to-day operations. Design factors such as airflow, heat removal, and condenser performance all influence how efficiently a cabinet operates throughout its working life.
What this means in practice
Advances in refrigeration engineering mean modern cabinets can deliver noticeable efficiency improvements compared with older equipment, particularly as newer systems are designed to remove heat more effectively and maintain stable temperatures. For operators managing multiple cabinets and sites, even modest efficiency gains can mean the difference between an operating profit or a loss.
Efficient refrigeration can also support operational consistency by reducing heat build-up in kitchens and helping equipment maintain reliable food safe performance during busy service periods.
At Foster and Gamko, energy efficiency is a core consideration in new product development, with recent updates across award winning ranges focused on reducing running costs while maintaining performance and reliability. Foster’s latest generation EP700H refrigerator has been designed to deliver market-leading energy efficiency on a like-for-like basis.
Further insight into how energy efficiency impacts long-term operating costs is explored in our blog on total cost of ownership in commercial refrigeration:
Total Cost of Ownership Blog
As operators continue to balance rising costs with the demands of day-to-day service, factoring energy efficiency into equipment purchase decisions has never been more important for those desiring a resilient, future-ready kitchen.
