Vacuum glass: a revolutionary technology to solve the energy saving and condensation problems of supermarket freezers

In the daily operation of supermarkets, refrigerators are the core equipment to ensure the quality of fresh goods, but they are quietly consuming huge electricity bills, and their power consumption accounts for up to 70% of the entire supermarket's power consumption. What is even more troublesome for operators is that the glass doors of refrigerators frequently condense and fog, which not only makes customers unable to see the goods clearly and affects their desire to buy, but also requires the clerks to wipe them repeatedly, which not only affects sales but also increases management costs. Traditional insulating glass and even electric heating glass solutions have never been able to solve the two major pain points of energy consumption and condensation at the same time. However, now, the mature application of vacuum glass technology is expected to solve these two major problems. 1. The hidden cost pain points of supermarket refrigerators
Supermarket refrigerators have been facing two major technical bottlenecks in their long-term operation, and there are many cost issues hidden behind them. Glass door condensation and fogging
When the interior of the refrigerator is in a low temperature state (even as low as -25℃ or below), and the outside is a high temperature and high humidity environment (such as humidity exceeding 80% in summer), the surface temperature of ordinary glass will drop sharply below the dew point, and water mist will soon condense, blurring the display vision of the goods. This not only affects customers' choice of goods, but also requires store staff to spend time and energy to wipe repeatedly, increasing labor costs. Energy consumption remains highRefrigerator doors are key parts for heat exchange. The heat transfer coefficient (U value) of traditional insulating glass is usually above 1.8W/m²K, which leads to continuous leakage of cold air. The compressor has to run at a high frequency, which consumes a lot of electricity and greatly increases the electricity bill of supermarkets. In order to alleviate the condensation problem, the industry once introduced electric heating glass, which increases the surface temperature by heating the glass by embedding metal wires in the interlayer. However, this solution brings new problems: it consumes extra electricity (a single door consumes 1-2kWh per day), and it will increase the loss of cold air (the glass temperature is higher after heating, and the heat transfer to the cabinet is enhanced), and even the stress caused by temperature changes will increase the risk of self-explosion. Electric heating glass seems to solve the fogging problem, but in fact it has fallen into a vicious cycle of "consuming electricity to resist condensation, and energy consumption increases when condensation is not removed."2. The "super insulation" principle of vacuum glassThe core breakthrough of vacuum glass lies in its innovative structure: a vacuum cavity layer (air pressure below 0.01Pa) is constructed between two pieces of tempered glass, the interior is separated by micron-level supports, and the edges are sealed with high-temperature seals and getters to maintain the vacuum degree. Since the vacuum does not transfer heat, the heat transfer only relies on a small amount of radiation and support point thermal bridges, so its thermal insulation performance can reach 3-5 times that of insulating glass. Taking Luoyang Landy's Landy V glass as an example, its heat transfer coefficient (U value) can be as low as 0.4W/m²K. This structure gives the glass door super insulation performance. Its outer surface can maintain a high temperature (above the dew point) at room temperature, which can isolate external water vapor condensation; although the inner surface is close to the low temperature environment of the refrigerator, it is not easy to transfer external heat, reducing the loss of cold.III. Double advantages: Energy saving and anti-dew effect testEnergy saving effect: Electricity bills drop by 30%-60%A test conducted by a seafood supermarket in Xiamen shows that after replacing with vacuum glass, the energy consumption of the freezer is reduced by 33%. Combined with the direct cooling technology transformation, the comprehensive power saving rate is as high as 46%. The comparative data for freezers (-25℃) is even more significant: vacuum glass can save about 445 yuan in electricity bills per year compared with hollow glass cabinets (the electricity bill is calculated at 0.8 yuan/kWh). In addition, due to the reduction in cooling loss, the daily operating time of the compressor is shortened by about 10%, and the life of the equipment is also extended at the same time. Eradication of condensation: transparent display without blind spotsIn the test of high temperature and high humidity environment (outdoor 32℃, humidity 80%), the surface of vacuum glass can remain completely transparent and fog-free, while ordinary glass has condensed water droplets. Even if the temperature of the freezer is as low as -50℃, the surface of the vacuum glass can still maintain 3-5℃ above the dew point, which physically blocks the conditions for condensation and ensures the clarity of the product display. IV. Hidden benefits: lightweight and long-term management Weight reduction and cost reduction The thickness of the vacuum glass is only 1/3 of that of the three-glass two-chamber glass, which reduces the load on the door body and the wear of the hinges. At the same time, the cost of the door frame material can also be reduced simultaneously. Safety improvement Vacuum glass avoids the circuit hidden dangers and temperature difference stress problems of electric heating glass, significantly reduces the risk of self-explosion, and improves the safety of the freezer. Simplified maintenance After using vacuum glass, the labor cost of repeated defogger is eliminated, and the clear display effect also increases the attractiveness of the product to customers, which helps to promote sales. V. Large-scale application and future prospects Vacuum glass technology is now becoming more and more mature. When it is used in wine cabinets and medical refrigerators, it can meet the EU's new A-G energy efficiency standards and easily achieve F or even E standards, while traditional glass can only reach G. In addition, in response to the problem of micro-condensation at the support points, Luoyang Landy Titanium Vacuum Glass Co., Ltd. has developed a "vacuum + hollow composite structure" and glaze shielding solution that combines functionality and beauty. With the tightening of global cold chain equipment energy efficiency standards (such as the EU 2021 new wine cabinet standard), vacuum glass is changing from a "technical option" to a "commercial necessity". When the trouble of condensation becomes history and the electricity bill is greatly reduced, this technology saves costs for the retail industry, but wins customers a clear view and silent consumption impulse when they stop. In the future, as the country further strengthens the energy consumption control of supermarkets, vacuum glass may move from seafood counters to freezers in thousands of households.