Why do supermarkets have "open top freezers" ?

[Dr Jack]

Lucky we have 2 hands then isn't it.

Well, unless your holding a basket in one of them. Or have a broken collar bone.

 

[Cosimo]

Tescos?

That's what he said.

 

[Fusion]

Accessibility. I agree though, it's incredibly wasteful. The amount of energy involved in powering a supermarket is insane, lighting is excessive too. Still, they make so much money that utility bills are small fry.

 

[Overlag]

Cold air sinks, that's true, but what of the hot air that fills it's place? Surely the compressor would have to come on less often if the lid was kept closed?

customers have them open ALL the time anyway. open top freezers work a lot LESS than the upright units with doors.

the problem is when they are overfilled and the airflow cant keep circulating.

 

[Pug]

Cold air sinks, that's true, but what of the hot air that fills it's place? Surely the compressor would have to come on less often if the lid was kept closed?

??

Not sure this makes much sense? If cold air sinks, how will warm air replace it when the cold air (being more dense) will sit below it?

You could argue that by having the lids on, when they open them (and they'd be open and closed a LOT, this would disrupt the air, and the action of the lid woud draw cold air up and out of the frezer.

My guess would be if you worked out the cost in efficiency between the two types (lid being opened/closed regularly and always open, but deeper sides, and not brimmed - which is how they exist) that there wouldnt be much in it.

By having these taller sides, and not filling to the top, the layer of coldest air is always where the food is and this wouldnt be recirculated much, and so wouldnt warm up too quickly.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

So students can hide in them and pretend to be dead.

 

[Conscript]

Open fronted chilled sections and open topped freezers are used because we the buying public are too lazy to open them up, it was the result of reseach hence the current hideously inefficient system. If the government were really serious about cutting energy use they would simply outlaw stuff like this but they won't they would rather tax it.

I work in Bluewater, and every evening I seriously wonder why all the shops don't just turn their lights off. In the shop where i work, about half of them are switched off while we cash up, but after hours, I really don't see why shops have to remain almost fully illuminated.

I know there are still people inside the centre using the cinema and stuff, so they might say its advertising, as the stock in the window displays can still be seen, but seriously, Im sure a hell of a lot of energy could be saved if the government started introducing guidlines that made sure shops and officies didn't leave unneccesary amounts of light burning after hours when theres hardly anyone around.

 

[Welshy]

I work in Bluewater, and every evening I seriously wonder why all the shops don't just turn their lights off. In the shop where i work, about half of them are switched off while we cash up, but after hours, I really don't see why shops have to remain almost fully illuminated.

I know there are still people inside the centre using the cinema and stuff, so they might say its advertising, as the stock in the window displays can still be seen, but seriously, Im sure a hell of a lot of energy could be saved if the government started introducing guidlines that made sure shops and officies didn't leave unneccesary amounts of light burning after hours when theres hardly anyone around.

It's usually because they will have security cameras within them. If there wasn't any light, the cameras would just be recording darkness and be absolutely pointless.

 

[MikeHunt79]

It's usually because they will have security cameras within them. If there wasn't any light, the cameras would just be recording darkness and be absolutely pointless.

The cameras and recording equipment also use power as well... Where do you draw the line?

 

[doofer]

For the hilarity when little old ladies fall into them.

 

[Conscript]

The cameras and recording equipment also use power as well... Where do you draw the line?

Exactly. Why not encourage shops to use night vision security cameras? Or simply employ motion detectors?

Besides, if all the lights were off, no one would be able to break in and steal stuff anyway, without torches....surely cameras would pick that up and trigger alarms? Leaving hundreds of halogen lights burning all night with security cameras running just in case someone attempts burglary after hours is exactly the kind of backward thinking Im talking about when it comes to green issues; surely there's better methods we could switch to if we are serious about saving energy.

 

[Fourstar]

LINKY

Because extracting energy from car engines driving through the car park is so much better for the environment..

 

[Conscript]

Because extracting energy from car engines driving through the car park is so much better for the environment..

The cars are driving through the car park anyway. They aren't going to employ a fleet of cars to drive over the things all day are they?

 

[Glaucus]

The cars are driving through the car park anyway. They aren't going to employ a fleet of cars to drive over the things all day are they?

But you can't creat energy from nothing. so it must slow teh car down a fraction. Which means you'll need slightly more throttle.

But be interesting to see the co2 comparison between power grid and the tiny fraction increase but over thousands of cars.

Still means the supermarkets don't pay for it, so it's a great idea for them.

 

[Conscript]

But you can't creat energy from nothing. so it must slow teh car down a fraction. Which means you'll need slightly more throttle.

But be interesting to see the co2 comparison between power grid and the tiny fraction increase but over thousands of cars.

Still means the supermarkets don't pay for it, so it's a great idea for them.

What if a car is rolling to a stop as it passes over them anyway?

Place it just before a set of fuel pumps, car rolls in as its slowing and is slowed more as some of it's kinetic energy is used up for this device. So, otherwise wasted energy is captured. And, the car is helped to slow down, putting less strain on brake pads. Brake pad production can be slowed down, meaning brake pad factories can draw less power. Suddenly, the planet is saved!

 

[LukeTW]

So students can hide in them and pretend to be dead.

 

[Glaucus]

What if a car is rolling to a stop as it passes over them anyway?

But what's the chances of that.

 

[Conscript]

But what's the chances of that.

Place it just before a set of fuel pumps, car rolls in as its slowing and is slowed more as some of it's kinetic energy is used up for this device.

With correct placement, the chances could be pretty high.

 

[Glaucus]

With correct placement, the chances could be pretty high.

I bet they put them in the main roads into the car park though. Not where people slow down.
That's the thing good solution and still is for the supermarket. But green maybe. maybe not depends on production, placement ect.

Could be placed just before the barriers at the Severn crossings. Slowing down and huge volumes of traffic.
be interesting to know what energy it produces per car and how much one device costs to install.

 

[Vigoro]

Exactly. Why not encourage shops to use night vision security cameras? Or simply employ motion detectors?

Besides, if all the lights were off, no one would be able to break in and steal stuff anyway, without torches....surely cameras would pick that up and trigger alarms? Leaving hundreds of halogen lights burning all night with security cameras running just in case someone attempts burglary after hours is exactly the kind of backward thinking Im talking about when it comes to green issues; surely there's better methods we could switch to if we are serious about saving energy.

Motion detectors dont show which person stole the bottle of vodka from the shop