Archives

The entire process was much easier than I ever thought it would be. The labeled terminal board makes things go very smoothly. We were done, even on our first install, a lot sooner than I thought we would be.

Case Study

Dollar Store Retrofit

Avon Lake, Ohio

With over 40 years of experience, and installations across the country, Professional HVAC/R Services (PRO), with industry veteran Joe Kokinda, is no stranger to unique or difficult refrigeration applications.

 

The company is best known for installing environmentally efficient, self-contained supermarket grade refrigeration fixtures, for standard retail locations. PRO’s green approach to refrigeration, has led them in pursuit of products that provide the best energy savings possible, as well as quick and easy installation.

 

PRO’s energy arm, Pro Green Technologies was introduced to the KE2 Adaptive Control in January of 2017. Pro Green quickly determined the controller was worth putting on a test site. So, when they were called in to correct major icing issues on a dollar store walk-in, Rob Draga, Executive VP for Pro Green, decided to use the store as the test site.

Problems to Solve

Despite the digital controller initiating a defrost cycle four times a day, ice continued to build on the coil, ceiling, walls, and floor.

High energy usage.

Solution Provided

KE2 Adaptive Control

KE2 LDA Communication Device

Results Obtained

23.93% reduction in energy usage. ✓

Eliminated icing issues on all surfaces. ✓ 

Reduce defrost cycles by almost 89%. ✓

More stable temperature. ✓

Ease of installation reduced equipment down time. ✓

Ability to remotely monitor & control with KE2 LDA. ✓

Alarm notification via text or e-mail with the KE2 LDA. ✓

Prior to the retrofit, the walk-in was using a standard digital controller with time initiated, temperature terminated, defrost. Despite the digital controller initiating a defrost cycle four times a day, ice continued to build on the coil, ceiling, walls, and floor, see Figures 1 & 2.

 

For the test, PRO wanted to compare the existing digital control, with the KE2 Adaptive Con- trol, for performance and energy savings. To gather the data, a KE2 LDA communication device was installed. This provided the ability to remotely monitor, control, and send alarm notifications. The system was then run for one month using the existing digital controller, see the Orange graph line in Figure 3. Then, the system was retrofit with the KE2 Adaptive Control, and run for almost a month, as indicated by the Blue line, in Figure 3.

 

Figure 1 - Ceiling Before with Digital Controller

Figure 2 - Floor Before with Digital Controller

The adaptive defrost algorithm in the KE2 Adaptive Control, reduced the number of defrost cycles from 120 a month to less than 13, maintaining a more steady space temperature, and 24% of the energy needed to operate the walk-in freezer. A summary from the test is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 3 - Walk-in Temperature Fluctuation

Digital Controller – Orange

KE2 Adaptive Control – Blue

Figure 4 - Performance Comparison Summary

Figure 5 shows an energy consumption comparison between the digital controller (shown in light green), and the KE2 Adaptive Control (in dark green).

Figure 5 - Energy Consumption Chart

Digital Controller – (February) Light Green
KE2 Adaptive Control – (March) Dark Green

Figure 6 - Ceiling After KE2 Adaptive Control Installed

The KE2 Adaptive Control also eliminated the persistent ice buildup on the coil, and other walk-in surfaces, as shown in Figure 6. While it is important to maintain an ice free coil from and energy efficiency standpoint, it is equally important to eliminate ice on the floor, which lead to safety issues and liability.

The icicles that formed while the digital controller was managing the system (as shown in Figure 1) are eliminated, see Figure 6 above. Other surfaces such as the walls, floors, and product, were also free of ice after the KE2 Adaptive Control was installed.

In addition to the energy savings, and elimination of ice formation in the walk-in, another feature that PRO was concerned with was ease of installation. The company prides itself on reducing equipment down time for their customers. Juan Castro, the PRO Service Tech assigned to install the KE2 Adaptive Control, prepped ahead of time, “I watched the YouTube video on ‘How to wire the controller’ the night before, and it really makes it easy.”

 

Draga was also impressed with the ease of installation, “The entire process was much easier than I ever thought it would be. The labeled terminal board makes things go very smoothly. We were done, even on our first install, a lot sooner than I thought we would be.” According to Draga, the total KE2 Adaptive Control installation took approximately 2.5 hours.

Conclusion:

The walk-in experienced 23.93 % energy savings when using the KE2 Adaptive Control. This equates to $500 annually. Additionally, by properly managing the defrost cycle, the KE2 Adaptive Control prevents “fogging,” and the resulting ice formations. Using the KE2 Adaptive Control and the KE2 LDA communication device, PRO sees the opportunity to help their customers achieve greater energy savings, as well as easily implement communication and alarming.

2022 Dealer Design Award Winner

KE2 Therm is proud to have received the bronze 2022 Dealer Design Award in the commercial controls category for the KE2-Edge Manager (EM) Plus.

KE2 Therm is proud to have received the bronze 2022 Dealer Design Award in the commercial controls category for the KE2-Edge Manager (EM) Plus.

About the KE2-EM Plus:

The KE2 Edge Manager Plus (KE2-EM Plus) is a multi-functional communications device designed to tie in all KE2 Therm controllers and wireless sensors at a location, as well as a growing number of 3rd party devices with open protocols.  It provides a dashboard of local devices, Wi-Fi access to connected devices, over a year of data logs & graphs, email & text alerts, remote access, and BACnet/IP integration.  This allows you to easily manage all of the refrigeration “edge” devices from a single screen.

Technicians can access the Wi-Fi of the KE2-EM Plus to view all controllers and sensors in real-time, view historic data, and change setpoints.  The KE2-EM Plus can also be connected to the existing network, allowing you to pull up the dashboard at any time from workstations or smart devices on the network, or have it displayed on a monitor or TV for continual monitoring.

Historic logs for connected devices are stored on the KE2-EM Plus itself; over a year of logs are available at a 15-minute interval (interval adjustable down to 1-minute).  Data from controllers, sensors, and 3rd party devices such as room temperature, humidity, superheat, suction pressure, and more can be graphed, exported, and downloaded.  This is useful for temperature audits as well as troubleshooting by technicians.

The KE2-EM Plus provides remote access to all controllers, sensors, and integrated 3rd party devices via the KE2 SmartAccess portal.  The communication is two-way, meaning users can view data and make changes to the devices remotely.  The remote access uses patented KE2 SmartAccess technology, which avoids requiring opening ports or specialized IT support on most networks.  Devices from multiple KE2-EM Plus units can be published to an overall remote dashboard, meaning the KE2-EM Plus is scalable from a single site with only a few devices to multiple sites with thousands of devices.

Email/text is also available from the KE2-EM Plus.  This provides peace of mind, and when combined with KE2 SmartAccess, allows immediate verification of the severity of the situation, as well as the state of the system.  This helps in determining the best course of action and urgency of the alarm.

For more information please contact your local authorized wholesaler, a KE2 Therm representative, or call/email us at 1-888-337-3358

With all the heat being added to the space during defrosts, I just knew there had to be a better way.

Case Study

Mama Lucia's Pizza

St. Louis, Missouri

What Lucille Tumminello started as a labor of love in her family kitchen in St. Louis’ well-known Italian neighborhood, The Hill, is now a thriving frozen pizza business carefully crafting 10,000 handmade pizzas every day. Mama Lucia’s Pizza now distributes pizza to approximately 300 area supermarkets and convenience stores.

Problems to Solve

System averaged over 1,000 minutes in defrost over five-day periods and shorter defrost cycles.

L-shaped configuration of the room which inhibits airflow.

One condensing unit for 1,875 sqft. of freezer space. Upgrades estimated ~ $18k.

Solution Provided

Evaporator-2

KE2 Evaporator Efficiency &
Sensors

Results Obtained

Fewer and shorter defrost cycles. ✓

Existing equipment running more efficiently – no $$ upgrades needed. ✓ 

Reduce space temperature by more than 5°. ✓

For storage of ingredients and finished products, the company maintains a forklift-accessible freezer. The floor plan was a single 50’ x 50’ freezer with two condensing units, and four evaporators providing the refrigeration. Recently, a 25’ x 25’ corner of the room was sectioned off to provide medium temp storage. Now, one condensing unit is tasked with refrigerating the remaining 1,875 square feet of freezer space. A further challenge to cooling this space is the L-shaped configuration of the room which inhibits airflow.

Originally, Mama Lucia’s felt their best option to bring this room down to their desired temperature was to install an additional evaporator and condensing unit – an estimated $18,000 expense. So, when the option was presented to install the KE2 Evaporator Efficiency controller on the system, and potentially handle some of the system load through improved refrigeration system performance, Mama Lucia’s didn’t hesitate.

 

Mama Lucia’s installed KE2 Evaporator Efficiency controllers on the evaporators, and added sensors to the controller to allow monitoring of the superheat. The controller manages the efficiency of the entire refrigeration cycle, dramatically reducing the amount of time the system spends in defrost mode, thus freeing up compressor run time to provide more cooling. John Altadonna, Lucia’s Production & Quality Assurance Manager always believed there had to be a better way to manage refrigeration systems. “With all the heat being added to the space during defrosts, I just knew there had to be a better way.” Darrell Long, Lucia’s CEO, added,

“We were a bit skeptical initially, simply because we’ve been around refrigeration for so many years. But the results are incredible. This is really impressive technology. We will definitely recommend it to others.”

Conclusion

With the KE2 Evaporator Efficiency controllers managing the system, it requires fewer and shorter defrost cycles. Before installing the KE2 Evap controllers, the system would average over 1,000 minutes in defrost mode over five-day periods. After installing the KE2 Evap controllers, the time in defrost mode averaged less than 300 minutes over the same time frame. That’s more than a 70% reduction.

The maximum coil temperature during defrost mode with the KE2 Evap in control was 74°F. Previous data showed coil temps rising between 150°F and 180°F while using mechanical controls. In addition to running the existing equipment more efficiently, adding the KE2 Evap controllers reduced the overall average space temperature by more than 5°F, thereby reducing the size of additional refrigeration equipment required to accommodate the new floor plan.

Weekly Snapshot

BEFORE: Using standard time clock – 22 defrosts in 5 days – 1006 minutes spent in defrost.

AFTER with KE2 Evaporator Efficiency Controllers installed – 13 defrosts in 5 days – 273 minutes spent in defrost

Thanks for reaching out.

Here's what's going to happen next:

1

A KE2 Therm Solutions representative is going to get in touch with you within the next 24 hours. (If your need is urgent, please call us right away: 636-266-0140) 

2

In our first discussion, we’ll seek to understand the specifics of your refrigeration needs so that we can provide you with the exact solution to suit your application.  

3

We’ll deliver a quote to get the product in your hands as soon as possible. 

With KE2Therm Solutions, you’ll have the most efficient refrigeration system at your fingertips. See how it’s revolutionized a few of our client’s businesses by accessing a few of our case studies below. 

This Quick Serve Restaurant chain pursued several test sites before giving the KE2 Evaporator Efficiency the green light for their new walk-ins and retrofit program. The controller was first tested in a corporate test kitchen, then in a bustling restaurant, and finally on a site with a “trouble” walk-in.

For over 100 years the St. Louis Zoo has been a part of the landscape of St. Louis. The zoo is recognized worldwide for its innovative approaches to animal care and management, wildlife conservation, research, and education, the zoo attracts millions of visitors each year. And, entertaining millions of guests means providing tons of food and refreshments year-round.

Before, we have never been able to meet our goal temperature during the summer months with this freezer.

Case Study

St. Louis Zoo

For over 100 years the St. Louis Zoo has been a part of the landscape of St. Louis. The zoo is recognized worldwide for its innovative approaches to animal care and management, wildlife conservation, research, and education, the zoo attracts millions of visitors each year. And, entertaining millions of guests means providing tons of food and refreshments year-round.

Problems to Solve

Could not maintain temperature.

Needed to monitor system operation.

Solution Provided

Evaporator-2

KE2 Evaporator Efficiency &
SmartAccess

Results Obtained

Desired Temperature was met under all conditions. ✓

Remote Access is provided via KE2 SmartAccess for 24/7 visibility. ✓ 

Reduce defrost cycles by 80% resulting in energy savings. ✓ 

The food service hub for the zoo is the main food distribution center. The distribution center houses a 30’x 40’x 14’ freezer consisting of two systems, each with one condensing unit and two separate evaporators.

The system was challenged to maintain the -10°F setpoint, struggling even during the winter months. Additionally, according to Patrick Williamson, Director, Purchasing & Distribution,

“We need to have the ability to view our refrigeration systems.”

When Williamson’s local refrigeration wholesaler approached him with the KE2 Evaporator Efficiency (KE2 Evap) controller, he saw a natural fit for his application. The monitoring capability not only satisfied his need but thanks to the KE2 Evap’s ability to provide real-time data, service technician Ken Hunter was also able to identify system problems that needed to be addressed.

Once the issues were resolved, the system began running much more efficiently and was reaching the setpoint. Williamson commented,

“Before, we have never been able to meet our goal temperature during the summer months with this freezer.”

Additionally, the improved monitoring exceeded Williamson’s previous capability, eliminating the need to manually record the temperature data. Another noteworthy benefit of the KE2 Evap installation is that reducing defrost cycles by 80% not only saves considerable energy, but it also reduces stress on the refrigeration equipment. Hunter is enthusiastic about the KE2 Evap and sees its potential application throughout the zoo. Stated Hunter,

“I really like the controller and have many more places we will be using these.”

Weekly Snaphots

BEFORE: Using standard time clock – 15 defrosts in 5 days.

AFTER: (shown below) KE2 Therm Evaporator Efficiency Controller – 3 defrosts in 5 days.