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Results of testing these cases under various indoor humidity conditions showed that
75F & 35% RH

refrigeration energy use is dependent on humidity

75F & 40% RH

75F & 45% RH

75F & 50% RH

IMPACTS OF INDOOR HUMIDITY ON REFRIGERATION ENERGY USE

Indoor humidity plays a significant role in the thermal performance and energy usage of supermarket display cases.
Increasing indoor relative humidity (RH) has an immediate impact on the frost formation on the coils and the latent cooling load of the refrigeration system. Increased frost formation on the coils and the latent load directly impact the compressor electric demand and, ultimately, thetotal system energy usage. To help supermarket operators realize the importance of maintaining proper humidity levels in their stores, Southern California Edisons engineers at the utilitys Refrigeration and Thermal Test Center tested the effects of RH variations on the performance and energy use of four different types of display cases commonly found in supermarkets. Their study focused on identifying the effects of indoor RH on frost mass, fog clearance time on glass doors, refrigeration system performance, and total power use. RESULTS POINT TO ELECTRIC DEMAND AND ENERGY SAVINGS The results of this study indicate that there is a direct relationship between the indoor RH and the weight of moisture removed from the air during the refrigeration process. Other findings include: Open vertical meat and dairy fixtures demonstrated more vulnerability to humidity variations and removed more moisture from the air than coffin and reach-in display cases.

Southern California Edison engineers conducted the tests at Edisons state-of-theart Refrigeration and Thermal Test Center in a controlled environment chamber.

Test Scenario
75F / 35% RH 75F / 40% RH 75F / 45% RH 75F / 50% RH 75F / 35% RH without ASH

Fog Recovery Time (seconds)

24 55 60 78 69

Comparison of Latent Cooling Load vs. Relative Humidity

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The increase in refrigeration electric demand under more humid conditions resulted from a combination of increased cooling load and deterioration in the effectiveness of the evaporators heat transfer characteristics and the blockage of air circulation across the coil.

Comparison of Condensate Mass Removed vs. Relative Humidity

Decreasing indoor RH had an immediate impact on the mass of condensate removed from the cases and the latent load of all fixtures
FOR MORE INFORMATION about how energy-efficient technology can improve your operational costs and add to your bottom line, call your Southern California Edison account executive or call SCEs Refrigeration and Thermal Test Center at (626) 812-7660 or visit the Web site at www.sce.com/rttc

affects the merchandising facet of the fixture. Findings include: The fog recovery time varied noticeably as a function of indoor RH. Lowering the RH from 50% to 35% resulted in a 69.2% reduction in fog recovery time. Operating the case at 35% RH with anti-sweat heaters (ASH) off yielded the same results in fog recovery time as running the display case with ASH on at an equivalent RH of 47%. ENERGY-SAVING RECOMMENDATIONS Supermarket designers and operators should consider cost-effective ways to maintain reasonably low RH in their stores, while complying with occupant comfort conditions. In doing so, they should evaluate the tradeoff between refrigeration savings and air conditioning penalty. Furthermore, they can save additional energy under low indoor humidity conditions by using smart defrost and ASH controls.

Since infiltration of warm and moist air accounts for approximately 80% of the cooling load of open vertical cases, decreasing RH caused a significant latent load reduction for these fixtures. The effect of latent load reduction, as a result of lowering indoor humidity, was reflected directly on the evaporator coil load and, consequently, the power consumption. Open vertical meat and dairy cases showed the largest reduction in cooling load and, subsequently, in compressor power demand as indoor RH fell. STUDY MEASURED IMPACT ON FOG RECOVERY TIME The study also examined the effect of indoor RH on the fog recovery time of a glass door reach-in display case. Fog recovery time

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