Supermarket Cooling & Heating

Foodland (Frewville), Adelaide, SA.

Optimum Control Technologies (Optimum) approached Airius Oceania to do a trial in the cold aisles of the Foodland Frewville store in Adelaide in 2014.

The trial was hugely successful and there are now IGA, Coles and Foodland stores using the Airius Air Pear technology to improve thermal comfort in their cold aisles in Australia.

SUPERMARKET COOLING & HEATING PROBLEM:

Supermarket operators have long had many issues with thermal comfort in cold aisles and their air conditioning, refrigeration and energy management consultants have tried to resolve the issue for many years with no success. Redesigned and expensive air conditioning ducting and distribution layouts, cabinet and door heaters or heat recovery systems have been tried with little or no success.

Optimum approached Airius Oceania in 2014 to carry out a trial at an IGA Foodland Supermarket in Frewville in Adelaide for one of their customers after hearing about our worldwide success solving this cold aisle issue in thousands of supermarkets.

SUPERMARKET COOLING & HEATING PRODUCT:

Airius supplied ten ‘Model 15’ Air Pear Series units and ceiling kits units spaced 5 metres apart for two cold aisles in 3.5 metres high ceilings to improve the thermal comfort in those aisles while also balancing the temperatures across the store.

Refrigeration units were monitored by Optimum to ensure there was no negative impact on the performance of the open ‘reach in’ cabinets. This is all possible due to the unique air flow delivery shape created by Airius Air Pears.

SUPERMARKET COOLING & HEATING OUTCOME:

The improvement in comfort in cold aisles means customers are more comfortable and therefore happier to spend more time and more money there. As an added bonus ‘fogging’ on fridge doors or any condensation on the floors is removed via the gentle air movement created by the Air Pears. Additionally, the common issue of temperature imbalances across a store caused by refrigeration and air conditioning competing against each other is rectified.

The trial was very successful and as a result that operator now has three of their supermarkets using the Air Pears with more stores to come as they roll them out across their fleet. Other supermarket operators have found the same outcomes here in Australia leading to Coles, IGA and Foodland stores commencing implementation of the Airius Air Pear units in their cold aisles and in some cases all around their stores.

Airius are thrilled to be working with IGA Foodland and Optimum as well as other major retailers as they look to improve the thermal comfort in their cold aisles and their stores generally while providing the opportunity to increase sales in those previously uncomfortable zones.