In today’s competitive grocery retail landscape, every watt of energy counts. Yet one often-overlooked drain on power bills is as simple as it is avoidable: leaving refrigerated display case lighting on around the clock.
Whether out of habit, convenience, or lack of awareness, this 24/7 lighting approach silently eats into profits and undermines the energy-saving efforts of modern refrigeration systems. Worse, it contributes to thermal load, pushing compressors to work harder and shortening equipment life.
Let’s explore why this practice is outdated, costly, and easy to fix—and how night covers and smarter LED systems can create immediate operational savings.
Lights Add More Than Just Illumination
While lighting is essential during business hours for product visibility and merchandising, its role after hours is purely parasitic—offering no functional benefit but still consuming electricity.
Lighting Adds Thermal Load
Refrigerated cases are highly sensitive thermal environments. Even low-wattage lighting contributes radiant heat, which the refrigeration system must compensate for.
Fact: Even modern LEDs emit heat. In enclosed or semi-open displays, this heat radiates toward products and air inside the case, triggering unnecessary compressor cycles.
The Cost of Leaving Lights On
Let’s break down the real impacts of leaving refrigerated case lights on 24/7:
- Increased Energy Consumption:- Leaving lights on overnight doubles their daily runtime. Over a month, this can translate into tens or hundreds of extra kilowatt-hours depending on the number of cases.
For example:
A single 8-ft LED fixture (50W) left on for an extra 12 hours/day = 18 kWh/month
Multiply that by 20–30 fixtures and the numbers grow fast.
2. Extra Refrigeration Load:- That radiant heat has to go somewhere—and it’s your compressors that pick up the slack. This leads to:
- Longer runtime per cycle
- Shorter rest periods for compressors
More frequent defrost cycles
Result: More wear on expensive refrigeration equipment and higher maintenance costs.
3. Faster Product Deterioration:- Even without customer traffic, lighting impacts product freshness:
- It accelerates photo-oxidation in meats and dairy
- Promotes nutrient loss in milk and produce
- Reduces color retention in fish and deli items
In essence, you’re degrading your inventory when no one’s buying.
Smarter Practice: Turn Off or Cover Up
Fortunately, retailers don’t have to leave lights on 24/7. Better options exist—both manual and automated—to cut waste without compromising presentation.
- Use Night Covers (Econofrost):- When pulled down after hours, Econofrost night covers create a physical barrier that:
- Blocks ambient heat and light
- Reduces air infiltration
- Allows lights to be safely turned off
- Cuts refrigeration load by up to 36% overnight
“After installing night covers and scheduling lights to shut off post-closing, our overnight energy costs dropped significantly—and case temperatures stayed more stable.”
— Store Manager, Regional Grocery Chain
2. Automate Light Schedules
Integrating LED systems into store-wide energy management platforms allows precise scheduling:
- Lights turn off automatically at close
- Optional dimming or safety-mode lighting during cleaning
Lights resume full brightness before store opening
This not only saves energy but ensures consistency—no need to rely on staff memory.
SafeSpectrum™ LEDs: Smart Lighting With Less Heat
While all lighting generates some heat, not all lighting is created equal. Promolux SafeSpectrum™ LEDs are engineered to minimize impact on perishables and refrigerated spaces.
- Balanced spectrum = less harmful radiation
- Cooler operation = less heat inside the case
- Ideal for nighttime-off schedules = no product degradation when powered back on
In contrast, standard LEDs and fluorescents can emit short-wavelength radiation that continues to harm product color and nutrients even when shoppers aren’t present.
Don’t Forget: Staff Training & SOPs Matter
Even the best tools need the right usage. Incorporate these best practices:
- Train closing staff to pull down covers and switch lights off
- Post signage near displays to remind employees
- Assign a closing checklist item for lighting
Use motion sensors or store-wide lighting zones to automate controls
Sustainability and Brand Messaging
Reducing overnight energy waste also aligns with consumer expectations and environmental goals.
- Customers notice efforts toward sustainability
- Lower emissions = better ESG reporting
- Small actions = big brand reputation wins
You can even include “night cover use” or “LED energy-saving systems” in in-store signage or corporate responsibility pages.
Final Thoughts
Leaving refrigerated case lights on 24/7 is a silent but costly habit. It wastes energy, stresses your refrigeration systems, and diminishes product quality—all without delivering any customer value after hours.
Retailers can significantly reduce power bills and extend equipment life by:
- Turning off case lights overnight
- Installing night covers like Econofrost
- Upgrading to SafeSpectrum™ LED systems
- Automating light schedules for consistency
Learn how Econofrost and SafeSpectrum™ can help reduce lighting-related energy waste:
www.econofrost.com | www.safespectrum.com
