Our first and largest framework agreement was signed with Uppsala School Properties, where Energy Probe has led to a simpler and safer everyday life for technicians, managers and kitchen staff — while generating cost savings of over SEK 800,000 per year.

Uppsala municipality's internal meal service laws and serves food to approximately 100 kindergartens, 60 primary schools, six upper secondary schools, seven senior restaurants and 17 nursing homes — a total of around 45,000 meals daily. Uppsala Skolowns the properties, and for an operation of this scale it is crucial to reduce energy consumption, emergency emergencies, carbon dioxide emissions and concerns about food safety. Here, Energy Probe has made a huge difference as a tool for operational efficiency, savings and reduced environmental impact.

Valuable system review

Following a presentation of Energy Probe, the project started in 2022 with installations in 188 refrigeration and freezing rooms.

“It was an easy decision as soon as you presented the service. We saw the potential for both energy savings and reduced carbon emissions. In addition, fewer compressor starts mean a longer life for our equipment thanks to reduced wear,” says Hans Grobe, Operations Manager.

‍

“During the initial test installations, Enclima identified problems such as unsealed door moldings, broken valves, icing and other inefficiencies. This system review has been extremely valuable and helped us ensure our facilities are optimized for maximum cost and energy savings.”

‍

Significant savings -- across the board

All installations were completed in spring 2024, together with a savings analysis showing the impact of the investment on energy consumption, climate footprint and compressor wear:

• Reduced energy consumption: 233,214 kWh per year.
• Reduced CO2 emissions: 21,056 tons per year.
• Energy-free portions (protected from cooling losses): 2,331,200 pieces.
• Reduced number of compressor starts: 2,402,264 per year.
• Savings on compressor maintenance: 569,828 kr per year. *
• Total cost savings: 803,042 kr per year.

‍

^{*Based on compressor cost calculations from rouxinc.com.
**Based on an electricity price of SEK 1/kWh, compressor savings and start-up costs.}

‍

50% Fewer emergency calls

When Uppsala Skolintroduced Energy Probe, their control expert and former refrigeration technician Paul Genins followed the temperature logs closely to verify the technology's effectiveness.

‍

‍

“At first I was surprised, then impressed -- the Energy Probe proved to be both responsive and slow enough to mirror the actual temperature changes in the stored food, providing an accurate picture of food safety,” said Paul Genins.

‍

‍

With Energy Probe integrated into the temperature monitoring system, the organization has been able to fine-tune alarm limits to focus on what really matters -- the actual temperature of the food.

‍

‍

“We can now set the alarm limits just a few degrees above the operating temperature without the risk of false alarms. I have spoken to the emergency response team who handle all service calls, and after gathering feedback we can confirm a 50 percent reduction of the alarms from our cold rooms. This is a huge improvement, especially given the large amount of daily alarms we previously had from our facilities.”

‍

The leverage effect of longer cooling cycles

As a refrigeration technician, Paul Genins notes the distinct difference between monitoring air temperature -- which leads to frequent, short refrigeration cycles -- and monitoring food temperature, which changes much more gradually.

‍

“With Energy Probe, we have a concrete temperature that accurately reflects the state of the food. This allows us to observe how system settings and daily use affect the quality of food. We can clearly see the effect of defrost cycles and make precise adjustments for optimal operation, making it a powerful tool for optimizing cooling systems.”

‍

‍

Higher temperature — with safer food quality

‍

With better control over the actual temperature of food, the organization has been able to adjust its routines and raise freezing temperatures -- without compromising food safety.

‍

'In the past, our freezers were often set to -23°C or -24°C because the air temperature varied greatly compared to the temperature of the food. It also meant a constant concern about not staying within the Food Authority's recommendations. Now we can set the freezers to -19.5°C or -20°C, leading to further energy savings.”

‍