Refrigerated Display Cabinets

1.1    Scope

Refrigerated display cabinets are products that are specifically designed to store and display chilled and/or frozen foodstuffs.

1.2    Definitions

Refrigerated display cabinets are used to maintain foodstuffs and drinks at chilled and frozen temperatures. There are many different designs of refrigerated display cabinets, but all enable the customer to view the foodstuff stored in the cabinet, either through an opening in the cabinet, or through a transparent door or lid. Refrigerated display cabinets also include commercial beverage coolers, which are specifically designed to chill and store pre-packaged, non-perishable beverage products for sale to customers.     

Refrigerated display cabinets are available in a range of different designs and efficiencies. The Energy Technology List (ETL) Scheme aims to encourage the purchase of higher efficiency products.      

The ETL Scheme covers four categories of products:      

• ‘Plug in’/ integral refrigerated display cabinets with integral refrigeration systems (i.e. incorporating a compressor and condensing unit).   
• ‘Remote’ refrigerated display cabinets that are designed to work with a non-integral refrigeration system (i.e. where the compressor and condenser, or all or parts of the refrigeration system are located at a different location from the cabinet).
• ‘Water loop’ refrigerated display cabinets that are designed to work with integral refrigeration systems where the condenser is partially or fully cooled by a closed water circuit, from which heat may be recovered for space heating or for pre-heating hot water systems. The closed water circuit may also be cooled by a water chiller.  
• ‘Chilled air’ refrigerated display cabinets that are designed to work with a ducted air system served by a remote refrigeration system where the compressor, condenser, evaporator and all parts of the refrigeration system are located at a different location from the cabinet.     

To be eligible for inclusion on the ETL, products shall meet the requirements as set out below.   

1.3    Requirements 

1.3.1    Eligibility requirements

To be eligible, products shall:

• Be designed to display chilled and/or frozen foodstuffs, whilst maintaining them within prescribed temperature limits. 
• Conform to one of the temperature classifications in Table 1.1 when tested to BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 in climate class III (25°C, 60% RH). Commercial beverage coolers shall conform to one of the temperature classifications in Table 1.2 when tested to BS EN 16902:2016 in climate class III (25°C, 60% RH).
• Be classified in accordance with the precise 5-digit classification system set out in Annex A of BS EN ISO 23953-1:2015. Commercial beverage coolers shall be classified in accordance with the precise classification system set out in Annex A of BS EN 16902:2016.
• Have an appropriate Conformity Assessment mark.

Water loop refrigerated display cabinets designed for use with a dry air cooler with variable chilled water flow temperatures, are not eligible.

Table 1.1     Classification according to temperature

Table 1.2    Classification according to temperature for commercial beverage coolers

All commercial beverage cooler classes are as described in BS EN 16902:2016, where the M-can temperature classes shall be measured with an accuracy of ±0.8°C.

1.3.2    Performance requirements

Products shall have an Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) that is less than, or equal to, the threshold shown in Table 1.3 for the relevant temperature class and type of cabinet.    

Table 1.3    Performance thresholds for refrigerated display cabinets

"≤" means "less than or equal to"   

Where the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) is defined as the ratio of the product’s Total Energy Consumption (TEC) to Total Display Area (TDA) 

And where the geometry/configuration of the cabinet refers to the designation under the classification system in BS EN ISO 23953-1:2015 Annex A and BS EN 16902:2016 Annex A for commercial beverage coolers, as follows:    

• Vertical (V) cabinets comprise: 
  • VC1 to VC4, VF1, VF2 and VF4, YC1 to YC4, YF1 to YF4, and YM5 to YM8 units.
  • BCSO, BCST, BCSS, BCVO, BCVT, BCVS, BCCO, BCCOT, BCCOS, BCCTO, BCCSO, BCCTT, BCCTS and BCCST commercial beverage cooler units.
• Horizontal (H) cabinets comprise:
• HC1 to HC8, HF1 and HF3 to HF7 units.
• BCHO, BCHT and BCHS commercial beverage cooler units.

1.4    Measurement and Calculations

1.4.1    Measurement standards

The following standards shall be used to determine product performance:

• BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 ‘Refrigerated display cabinets – Part 2: Classification, requirements and test conditions’
• BS EN 16902:2016 ‘Commercial beverage coolers. Classification, requirements and test conditions’

Please note that performance data obtained in accordance with the procedures and standard rating conditions laid down in BS EN ISO 23953-2:2005+A1:2012 will be accepted as an alternative to testing in accordance with BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 until further notice. For products with glass that have been tested in accordance with BS EN ISO 23953-2:2005+A1:2012, performance data will only be accepted if the Total Display Area (TDA) is recalculated in accordance with BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015.

For products listed on the Energy Technology prior to 1 January 2019, performance data obtained in accordance with BS EN ISO 23953-2:2005 will also be accepted as an alternative to testing in accordance with BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015. Similarly, if these products contain glass, the TDA shall be recalculated in accordance with BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015.

1.4.2    Performance metrics

The Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) shall be calculated using the equation below:

$$ EEI=\frac{Total\ energy\ consumption\ (TEC)}{Total\ display\ area\ (TDA)}$$

Where:

• TEC is the daily energy consumption of the product in kWh/day calculated according to BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 section 5.3.6.3.4 and BS EN 16902:2016 section 6.3.13.3 for commercial beverage coolers.   
• TDA is the total display area of the product in m2 calculated according to BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 Annex A and BS EN 16902:2016 Annex D for commercial beverage coolers.

For water loop cabinets, the TEC shall be the sum of the direct cabinet consumption (DEC) including compressor energy consumption, the pumping daily energy consumption (CPEC) for the water circuit and the refrigeration energy consumption (RECRI) for a remote indirect refrigerating system. The RECRI is used to approximate the energy consumption associated with cooling the chilled water circuit when free cooling or heat recovery for space or hot water heating is not feasible. The DEC, CPEC and RECRI for water loop cabinets shall be calculated in accordance with BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 Section 5.3.5.3 and Section 5.3.6.3.3.

For chilled air cabinets, the TEC shall be calculated in accordance with the calculation methodology described in the air-cooled cases testing procedure and calculation method document available from: https://www.rdandt.co.uk/news/aircooled. 

1.4.3    Test Requirements

All cabinets shall be tested in a test room conforming to BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 and BS EN 16902:2016 for commercial beverage coolers.      

During testing, the cabinet shall comply with the conditions defined in BS EN ISO 239532:2015 with the following specifications: 

• Section 5.3.2.7.1 – Lighting – section (b).  
• Section 5.3.2.7.2 – Night covers – Test data shall not include results from testing with night blinds.  
• Section 5.3.6 - Heat extraction rate measurement when condensing unit is remote from cabinet shall be calculated according to section 5.3.6.3.1 and 5.3.6.3.2 method Ø24-deft.

Water loop cabinets shall be tested in accordance with the method described in BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 for remote indirect refrigerating systems. In addition to the specifications listed above, the inlet chilled water flow temperature shall be set at 20°C. A tolerance of ±1°C shall be allowed for the inlet chilled water flow temperature.

Chilled air cabinets shall be tested in accordance with the methodology set out in the air-cooled cases testing procedure and calculation method document available from: https://www.rdandt.co.uk/news/aircooled.

During testing of commercial beverage coolers, the cabinet shall comply with the conditions defined in BS EN 16902:2016 with the following specifications:

• Section 6.3.8 – Lighting and night covers – follow the procedure described in Figure 24 for commercial beverage coolers with lighting and night covers. Test data shall not include results from testing with night blinds.

Products that use refrigerant blends consisting of a mixture of two or more component refrigerants may exhibit temperature glide, where the refrigerant evaporates and condenses over a temperature range at constant pressure. For these products, the evaporating temperature shall be the mid-point temperature of the evaporating temperature range.

Hybrid water loop cabinets which are also able to operate as air-cooled integral cabinets shall be tested in both air-cooled and water-cooled modes. The TEC for hybrid water loop cabinets shall be calculated as the average of the TEC in air-cooled mode and the TEC in water-cooled mode.

The test report shall be prepared in accordance with the specification set out in BS EN ISO 23953-2:2015 and in BS EN 16902:2016 for commercial beverage coolers.

1.4.4    Rounding  

For the avoidance of doubt, M-package temperatures should be rounded to the nearest integer value (where 0.5 should be rounded up). M-can temperatures for commercial beverage coolers should be rounded to one decimal place. Other test data should be presented to two decimal places. As an example, a vertical M0 cabinet with an EEI performance threshold of 7.51 would be deemed to not meet the performance requirements.

1.5    Verification for ETL Listing 

Any of the following testing routes may be used to demonstrate the conformity of products against the requirements:

• In-house testing – Self-tested and verified or cross-checked by an independent body (for all categories except for water loop refrigerated display cabinets)
• Witnessed testing
• Independent testing
• Representative testing (see clause 1.5.1 below)     

Further information regarding the first three routes can be found in Guidance Note 5 on the ETL product testing framework .  

1.5.1    Representative testing 

Where applications are being made for two or more cabinet models that are variants of the same basic design, test data may be submitted for a single ‘representative model’ provided that all variants have the same precise 5-digit classification according to Annex A of BS EN ISO 23953-1:2015. For commercial beverage coolers, all variants shall have the same precise classification according to Annex A of BS EN 16902:2016. The rules in Table 1.4 shall be used to select the representative model that should be performance tested.

Table 1.4    Rules for selecting the representative model for performance testing

It should be noted that:      

• If a manufacturer voluntarily removes the representative model from the ETL then other products linked with that representative model may or may not be permitted to remain on the ETL. 
• If any product submitted under these representative model rules is later found not to meet the performance criteria when independently tested, then all products based on the same representative model will be removed from the ETL.

1.6    Conformity testing

Products listed on the ETL may be subject to the scheme’s conformity testing programme in order to ensure listed models continue to meet the ETL requirements. 

1.7    Review 

1.7.1    Indicative review date 

This specification is scheduled to be reviewed during the 2022/23 review cycle.

1.7.2    Illustrative future direction of the requirements  

Future requirements will see the alignment of the Energy Efficiency Index definition for refrigerated display cabinets with the proposed eco-design regulation for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function. The requirements for small ice cream freezers will be separated out from the horizontal refrigerated display cabinet segment, in line with ecodesign. Performance thresholds will also be reviewed to ensure that the ETL specification captures the upper quartile of products on the market.