ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF SUPERMARKETS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Supermarket has been identified as one of the most energy intensive commercial buildings in many countries. However, relevant studies on the energy consumption of supermarkets in Singapore are limited. Thus, this dissertation seeks to determine the average annual energy use intensity of supermarkets in Singapore. In particular, it also discusses the major energy consuming systems, namely refrigeration, lightings and Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Additionally, energy savings opportunities for the systems are also identified. Survey of 27 supermarkets revealed that there is a strong positive correlation between the annual energy consumption and variables like gross floor area and refrigeration sales area. Through the survey, the average annual energy use intensity is found to be 1112.18 kWh/m2, which deviates significantly from the intensity found from studies done in United States and Sweden. An energy benchmarking curve is established to evaluate the energy performance of the supermarkets in Singapore. A comparison of the energy consumption of different months is also performed and it shows no significant seasonal variation, unlike supermarkets in temperate countries. Apart from the survey, case study is undertaken for 3 supermarkets selected from the sample survey. This is to identify the types of systems adopted and the percentage of energy consumed by these systems. With a clear understanding of the energy usage and the types of systems used, recommendations for energy savings are made. The limitations of this study are that the survey is based only on outlets that belong to 2 major supermarket chains and the percentage of energy consumed by the systems were estimated using the power rated plates of the equipments. Nevertheless, this study is beneficial in understanding the energy usage of local supermarkets and serves as a reference for future research.