Energy Savings - is the main reason why most retailers and food service vendors choose to install night covers. A night cover designed specifically for creating an efficient thermal barrier for open store cases will save energy. How much energy will be saved is dependent upon the attributes and type of fabric material used in the construction of the night cover.

When Southern California Edison (SCE) tested Econofrost, the results showed that in order to be effective and achieve the reported 36% energy savings, a night cover MUST possess low-emissive properties.

Aluminum has exceptional low-emissive properties and absorbs very little radiated heat from the environment, reflecting it back to the surroundings. Low Emissive properties are used to reduce thermal conductivity by suppressing radiative heat flow. By reflecting radiant energy and preventing it from entering the case, Econofrost provides for more efficient refrigerated case operation: the radiant heat originating from the store is reflected back to the store and does not enter the case.

Different covers with higher emissivities absorb more radiated heat and transfer that heat into the case via conduction. And further, other night cover providers base their documentation on the report by SCE, but the fabrics used in their covers clearly do not possess the properties and characteristics required by SCE to achieve the tested 36% energy savings. Therefore, any energy savings claims by those companies are unsupported and undocumented.

The Primary Benefits of Using Night Covers Include:

1. Energy Savings
2. Extended Shelf Life & Improved Product Appearance
3. More Efficient Refrigeration System
4. Lower Operating Costs
5. Power Outage Protection

In addition to saving energy by helping refrigeration compressors operate more efficiently, Econofrost thermal covers assist refrigeration equipment to maintain product temperatures below 41°F in accordance with NSF #7, thus prolonging product shelf life.

With varying humidity levels in supermarket display cases, and the heat and light radiation that continuously penetrates the open cases, perishables products soon wilt, discolor, lose moisture and fall prey to bacteria and pathogen growth. Shoppers pass on products that are clearly quite ripe which no longer look fresh and appetizing.

Fruits and vegetables in the produce section become dehydrated and wilted very quickly and the produce department has one of the highest rates of product discard and requires the most labour time to trim the displays.