Case Study: Electric-Standby Truck Refrigeration Units

Feeding Northeast Florida is the region’s largest food bank, providing nearly 31 million pounds of food and food resources to individuals and families across eight counties in Northeast Florida through a hunger relief network of more than 300 partner organizations. Eli Darkatsh, the company’s Director of Compliance & Capability, explained how their standard for food safety requires significant cooler and freezer space for their products. To meet this energy demand, they invested in electric plug-in infrastructure to support three Electric Standby Truck Refrigeration Units (E/S TRUs) at their 22,000-square-foot Edgewood facility.

 “We have a large facility cooler at our Edgewood facility,” Darkatsh explained. “But not enough warehouse space for both cooler and freezer. This solution enables us to receive, store and distribute frozen products safely.” 

The three E/S TRUs are the perfect solution to their space and energy needs. Rather than idle diesel engines to power the trailers' TRUs, the E/S versions plug directly into the grid. 

Results  

Feeding Northeast Florida has been able to take advantage of the JEA Electrification Rebate Program to offset E/S TRU electric infrastructure costs along with other electric equipment purchases at their facilities. Since working with JEA, Feeding Northeast Florid purchased and received rebates for electric forklifts, pallet jacks, scrubbers and TRUs. “The program representative has been terrific to work with … We are grateful to have JEA’s support as a community partner – not just from a financial perspective but also the volunteer teams that come help us on a regular basis.”

The benefits include reduced site emissions, fuel and maintenance cost savings and peace of mind that the units are always powered. “We have them on a monthly PM schedule, check temps 2x/day via infrared temp gun and have an online temperature alarm system that alerts us to any issues 24/7.”

Enjoy the Benefits of E/S TRUs  

• Cost less to fuel and maintain because electricity is cheaper and more efficient than diesel, and fuel costs while idling can be reduced by up to 80%.
• Much quieter than diesel engines, reducing distraction for personnel. 
• Provide a cleaner, healthier work environment by producing zero site emissions. 
• Use fewer mechanical parts when operating, which can reduce maintenance costs by up to 15%.
• E/S TRUs and related installation costs usually pay for themselves in less than two years.