Is your business performing optimally? Why refrigeration is key to unlocking bigger-picture (and hidden!) inefficiencies.
Refrigeration is at the heart of what makes many businesses run–which can also put it at the center of business risk. Product quality and continuity depend upon refrigeration, meaning an inefficient or ineffective system could gamble with the livelihood of your operation itself.
But where there is risk, there’s also opportunity. And with today’s changing energy landscape, “set it and forget it” refrigeration simply doesn’t make business sense anymore.
First things first: refrigeration is not a fixed cost.
Many business owners only see refrigeration as another monthly expense–when your product relies on constant, reliable temperatures, it’s easy to think that nothing can be done to mitigate costly energy bills.
Many factors go into how efficiently your refrigeration operates (and ultimately, how much it costs to run it). Something as simple as how often your staff opens and closes doors can make a sizable impact on your facility’s energy use.
Other variable considerations include:
- Compressor power (where demand peaks and why)
- Temperature stability (zone, product, and alarm context)
- Control sequences (defrost, staging, floating head pressure, condenser logic)
Our first recommendation? Tracking and benchmarking use data. Once you’re able to accurately see and measure what’s going on at your facility, your team has a detailed, fact-based roadmap for targeting easy, fast wins (like updating doors or sensors) or honing in on more large-scale upgrades.
What makes today’s refrigeration different?
If you think you’re doing everything right when it comes to optimizing your refrigeration, but are still seeing a bump in your energy bill each month, changes to today’s energy landscape may be to blame.
It’s no secret that data centers are putting a strain on energy grids and having a large impact on energy prices.1 While average energy prices in the U.S. have remained relatively consistent in the past–around 13 cents per kWh between 2009-2019–prices jumped to more than 19 cents per kWh by the end of 2025.1, 2
Other considerations, such as electric vehicles or other electric versions of previously gas-only machinery, can spike your energy use if not properly monitored or managed.
On top of energy expenses, places like Atlanta, Denver, or New York City, have also introduced new penalties for facilities that don’t meet building decarbonization requirements.
Where do we go from here?
It can be overwhelming to consider factors outside of your business’ control. The good news is that real, tangible improvements to your refrigeration system can be implemented in a matter of months.
Our recommendation? Capture data, meter, and assess trends first. This will help you find and fix any low-hanging fruit while planning for any longer-term upgrades along the road. Thermal energy storage, like IceRackTM, is an innovative and energy-efficient solution that helps many refrigeration facilities cut costs and use the most energy during off-peak hours, when prices are at their lowest.
While looking at solutions, don’t forget to check your local utility for rebates or incentives–many of them offer cash back or instant discounts on energy-efficient upgrades to your business.
Get the deep dive: Unlocking hidden business value in industrial refrigeration
If you’re ready to dig deeper and learn more about how optimized refrigeration can be a strategic business asset, don’t miss our upcoming webinar with Stan Nabozny and Vaughn Engler on September 16.
They’ll cover:
- Identifying hidden value within existing refrigeration infrastructure
- How energy initiatives can improve financial and operational performance
- Practical strategies like demand flexibility, thermal energy storage, and utility incentives
- How to build stronger business cases for energy upgrades
Join us to get a better sense of not only how your business uses energy, but also how to better communicate your energy needs to your leadership team.
Webinar details:
Unlocking Hidden Business Value in Industrial Refrigeration
September 16, 2026, 2pm EDT
Ready to take the next steps when it comes to optimizing your facility’s refrigeration? Stay tuned for next month’s blog, where we’ll discuss just how to get your executive team on board with energy optimization.
