ESG Energy-Saving in Action｜Smart Refrigeration POC: The Key to Low-Temperature Equipment’s Green Transformation

Intelligent Control to Solve High Energy Consumption in Retail Stores

As sustainability and net-zero targets continue to advance, energy-intensive refrigeration equipment in retail environments has become a major focus of carbon-management efforts. The Intelli-EMS Smart Energy Management System team conducted a pilot project to optimize energy usage and enable intelligent control for commercial freezers. This Proof of Concept (POC) successfully demonstrated 23% energy savings, real-time anomaly alerts, and remote control capabilities, offering a valuable reference for ESG-driven retail applications.

Customer Needs & Challenges

Supermarkets, hypermarkets, and retail chains typically operate numerous refrigeration and freezer units. In addition to the compressors running 24/7, the cabinets include lighting, defoggers, fans, and temperature-control components—resulting in significant overall energy consumption. Operators often face the following pain points:

• Difficulty tracking total energy usage and carbon emissions for individual or multiple units

• Lighting and defogging devices running unnecessarily for long periods

• Lack of real-time anomaly alerts (e.g., abnormal temperatures, lighting failures)

• Limited ability to implement energy-saving schedules and remote control

  
  

Solution Components

Thread Border Router x1

Smart 3 in 1 Power Meter x 6

Intelli-EMS Cloud War Room

Intelli-EMS Solution Benefits

Function Module	Description
Power / Carbon Emission Monitoring	Provides real-time visibility into energy consumption and total carbon emissions, along with trend analytics.
Energy-Saving Control	Uses scheduling to turn lighting and defoggers on/off, eliminating unnecessary power usage.
Anomaly Alerts	Sends immediate notifications for issues such as abnormal temperature, lighting failure, and compressor irregularities.
Cloud-Based Remote Management	Offers real-time status monitoring and historical data review, suitable for multi-store management.

Test Results

Based on the comparative energy-use data:

• Lighting and defogging systems shifted from continuous operation to scheduled on/off cycles

• Total energy consumption decreased by 23%

• Equipment status became fully transparent, with instant anomaly reporting that improves maintenance efficiency and product safety

Energy-Use Curve Comparison (Before / After):

• Before: Lighting and defogging devices running continuously

• After: Noticeable drop in energy consumption once scheduling control was applied

ESG Action Starting from Refrigeration Equipment

This pilot demonstrates that even focusing on a single equipment category in retail settings can deliver measurable energy savings and intelligent management upgrades. With a modular deployment architecture, the solution can be expanded to full-store systems, multi-branch retail chains, and cold-chain logistics centers. This enables comprehensive energy visualization, preventive anomaly management, and robust support for corporate ESG goals and carbon-inventory requirements.