Retail & Supermarket
Enhancing retail efficiency with superior equipment insulation
Creating more sustainable and cost-efficient retail experiences
Supermarkets and grocery stores are constantly looking for ways to improve the shopper’s experience while keeping energy costs low. With tight margins and high overhead, operators rely on highly efficient solutions that minimise energy loss, ensure occupant safety and address the unique technical demands of retail spaces. Cooling equipment, must be thermally insulated to ensure system performance, safeguard the long-term operational reliability of the equipment and minimise energy losses. Effectively insulating key components, like liquid and suction lines, chillers, and cooling tanks, for example, enables operators to substantially lower the consumption of their energy-intensive refrigeration systems. At Armacell, we are dedicated to equipping specifiers with tailored insulation solutions and practical insights, providing a roadmap to sustainable, safe and cost-effective retail environments.
Achieve a higher energy efficiency
Supermarkets, operating at meagre profit margins, grapple with significant overhead costs. Amid this landscape, energy costs emerge as a crucial factor. With more than half of a supermarket's electricity load going into refrigeration, the potential of improving energy efficiency is profound. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only a mere 10 percent reduction in energy usage can correspond to a significant 16 percent increase in net profit margins. As refrigeration units operate ceaselessly, operators and specifiers are expected to integrate innovative energy-saving solutions from system inception. Specialised, high-performing insulation plays a major role in protecting equipment from energy losses. From refrigeration cases, walk-in coolers and freezer units to the much larger cold-rooms behind the main shopping floor and refrigerant piping suspended in the open ceilings of the store, tailored insulation solutions are key to meeting distinct requirements and temperature profiles. Closed-cell insulation foam not only outperforms conventional materials on condensation control and energy efficiency. It’s extremely flexible properties also ensure a perfect fit in your unique setup, whether liquid and suction lines, chillers or cool tanks.
Prolong equipment life and control condensation
Insulating machinery, refrigeration lines or HVAC cooling systems not only promotes energy efficiency but also prevents condensation on surfaces operating below ambient temperatures — a common challenge of supermarkets and grocery stores. Specifying insulation materials with closed-cell structures prevent moisture ingress by building up a high resistance to water vapour throughout the insulation thickness – cell by cell and naturally resists mould and mildew growth. What’s more, the built-in Microban® antimicrobial protection provides a proactive protection against harmful bacteria, mould, and mildew. Specifying insulation materials that are free of fibres, formaldehyde and have low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is critical to avoiding particulates that can compromise air quality. As a standout feature, the flexible nature of the material facilitates easy installation in confined spaces, optimising operational efficiency for the long haul.
Plan for employee and customer safety
Fires in supermarkets and retail stores can result in substantial losses of assets and jeopardise the lives of employees and customers. Since smoke poses a much greater threat than the fire itself, specifying low-smoke materials is crucial for enhancing fire safety. Setting a new safety benchmark, our ArmaFlex® Ultima, powered by the patented ArmaPreneTM technology, outperforms standard elastomers, exhibiting ten times less smoke alongside exceptional flame resistance. Incorporating passive fire protection (PFP) solutions into the planning of grocery retail environments is pivotal for safeguarding against the spread of fire and minimising smoke density for a safe evacuation. Our ArmaFlex Protect and ArmaProtect® systems feature firestop components that seal pipe penetrations in fire-resistant walls and floors, effectively containing fire and diminishing the spread of smoke within the building. By integrating these advanced insulation and firestop solutions, engineers and planners can ensure a safer, more secure environment for employees and customers.