Measurable Contribution to more Sustainability and Energy Savings
A range of studies has quantified the positive energy input customers get when using SmartFresh. Results prove that the use of SmartFresh together with Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage can contribute significantly to improved energy efficiency and lower carbon footprint without compromising quality.
Due to the lower metabolism and respiration rate of SmartFresh fruits, fewer hours are needed for refrigeration, defrosting, ventilation, O2 addition and CO2 scrubbing. When SmartFresh is used combined with changes in the storage regimes (night cooling, increase of storage temperature), the energy efficiency is even more noticeable: carbon footprint reductions and cost savings are measurably higher.
- Reduction on CO2 emissions: up to 53%
- Average energy savings: up to 7500 kWh during 6 months of storage (36% savings)
Energy Savings During Storage
Gala apples were stored with SmartFresh technology at 4°C, while the control apples were stored at the standard temperature of 1.5°C: the SmartFresh storage room used 35% less energy than the control storage room. A sensorial study carried out after storage clearly showed consumers' preference for SmartFresh quality apples.
This study also revealed a decrease in weight loss for fruits stored with SmartFresh technology, which led to a weight gain of 630 additional kg. (The Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau-Bodensee (KOB), Germany).
The Istituto Agrario di San Michele all Adige has proven that quality benefits with SmartFresh technology for Italian Red Delicious and Fuji are still excellent if the cooling of the apples takes place exclusively at night. The lower costs of electricity during night time represent cost reductions of about 50%. In addition, the lower metabolism of the SmartFresh fruits significantly reduces the need for CO2 scrubbers.
At the end of the storage period, important energy savings were calculated (28% to 34%) and CO2 release was greatly reduced (between 29% and 55%).
Carbon Footprint Reductions During Transport From Southern Hemisphere
SmartFresh quality avocados can be shipped in Regular Air, whereas without SmartFresh technology they need CA (Controlled Atmosphere) conditions this involves necessarily higher energy consumption.
South African SmartFresh quality plums can be kept longer at 7.5°C instead of -0.5°C.