Refrigeration Monitoring
The 10 Best Refrigeration Monitoring Systems for Enterprises in 2024
Retailers and automation solution providers have used various strategies to reduce energy consumption in stores, but most take years to show value. Energy consumption is approached as a fixed expense that needs to be managed rather than optimized.
FMs rely on hardware-centric legacy software, which complicates data access and makes it difficult to manage multiple sites with refrigeration and HVAC systems. This results in fragmented data, hindering portfolio-level optimization.
Refrigerant leaks attract heavy penalties from compliance authorities like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since most refrigerants have high global warming potential (GWP). The AIM Act has authorized the EPA to oversee the phasedown of HFC refrigerant production and consumption in an effort to transition to alternative refrigerants.
Fines of up to $69,733 per day for initial violations and $57,617 per day per violations thereafter, alongside substantial expenses for mandatory upgrades.
Large corporations like Schnitzer’s Steel Inc. were penalized for EPA violations and mandated to pay civil penalties and implement compliance measures worth $1.7 million to prevent the release of ozone-depleting refrigerants.
Refrigeration monitoring systems can help identify quick wins to optimize energy use and achieve portfolio-wide efficiencies. Connected refrigeration monitoring software centralizes energy strategies and improves resource productivity with simple integrations, regardless of the vendor.
These solutions prioritize end customers, organizational stakeholders, remote monitoring, and seamless automation capabilities. They employ IoT sensors to enable real-time remote monitoring and send timely alerts, ensuring inventory protection, compliance, and high-quality products.
For instance, if a refrigeration unit deviates from its optimal temperature, an alert is generated, diagnostics are performed, and a maintenance team is dispatched within minutes. You gain 24-hour coverage, and your service companies can log in remotely during non-working hours to check refrigeration equipment efficiency.
A cloud-supervisory platform eliminates the need for manual inspections and human error. It detects leaks before they become compliance or health and safety issues.
Let's examine how these refrigeration monitoring systems work and explore some of today's best software options.
How exactly do refrigeration monitoring systems work?
Refrigeration monitoring systems are designed to ensure refrigeration units' optimal performance and temperature control. Here’s how they work:
1. Real-time monitoring using sensors and IoT devices
Connected refrigeration monitoring systems, like Facilio, leverage advanced IoT devices to monitor temperature, humidity, pressure, and vibrations in real time. By integrating these sensors, it ensures continuous and precise monitoring of refrigeration units for early leak detection.
2. Data analysis and alerts
Advanced refrigeration monitoring systems analyze the incoming data to identify trends, inefficiencies, or potential issues. For instance, Facilio employs AI and ML algorithms to predict refrigerant leaks. Alerts are sent directly to property managers to facilitate swift action.
3. Automated compliance reporting
Managing reports generated from disparate tools is time-consuming. Facilio automates this process, generating audit-ready reports that comply with regulations, such as those outlined in the AIM Act and EPA 608 regulations.
This eliminates the burden of legal fees and paperwork, while providing clean, structured data that can be used for financial analysis and customized reports tailored to specific regulatory requirements.
5. Integration and ecosystem
Advanced refrigeration monitoring software offers a unified environment where various systems seamlessly connect, creating a closed-loop ecosystem for efficient issue resolution and improved collaboration.
Facilio excels in this area with its low-code/no-code integration approach, enabling users to implement changes and integrate with open APIs effortlessly, without complex coding. This agility results in faster implementation times, typically within 1-2 months, compared to industry standards of 6-12 months.
Optimize refrigeration performance across your portfolio
Best refrigeration monitoring software: Quick comparison
10 best refrigeration monitoring systems in 2024
We've assembled a selection of leading commercial refrigeration monitoring software options for 2024. Through extensive research, we've identified their standout features and reviewed verified customer feedback to offer a comprehensive overview of their capabilities and areas for improvement.
1. Facilio
2. Samsara
3. OneEvent Technologies
4. Monnit
5. Inauro
6. Danfoss
7. OpSense
8 Johnson Controls EcoStruxure™
9. Siemens Insights Hub
10. Liebherr Smart Monitoring
Facilio
Facilio is an advanced refrigeration monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring and analytics and identifies energy-saving opportunities, with preventive maintenance for temperature-sensitive assets.
It integrates CMMS and IoT-based remote monitoring capabilities to deliver comprehensive management of multi-site retail operations. This all-in-one platform streamlines refrigeration compliance, combining hardware and software leak detection with compliance processes through a user-friendly, no-code interface.
Facilio’s integrated CMMS capabilities allow refrigeration compliance tracking from leak detection to repair and system integrity checks. It delivers audit-ready reports and seamless integrations with regulatory bodies like the EPA, GreenChill, and CARB.
Using a rule-based AI engine, it can identify and address refrigerant leaks without additional hardware, eliminating the risk of undetected leaks and automatically triggering timely alerts for potential issues.
Its ability to consolidate multiple-point solutions for refrigeration monitoring into one cohesive platform simplifies the complexities of refrigeration management, enhancing efficiency and reducing operational costs.
How Facilio is revolutionizing refrigeration monitoring management
Facilio addresses the issues present in refrigeration monitoring today by offering a cloud-based supervisory platform that enables remote management of HVACR systems across multiple locations.
Here’s its approach:
Facilio key features
Fault detection and root cause analysis
With its advanced fault detection and diagnostics engine, Facilio enables you to harness the power of IoT technology in facility management to monitor and optimize refrigeration systems continuously.
It uses filter alarms based on the common root causes, severity, and equipment category. It also eliminates false freezer alarms and swiftly identifies and addresses anomalies in asset performance, energy consumption, and sensor errors based on predefined thresholds.
Automate compliance and audit reporting
Automate the management of refrigerant records and compliance data (including asset lifecycle and maintenance SLAs) and digitize custom reports for routine audits and regulatory stakeholders.
Continuous data telemetry
Facilio ensures seamless data transmission and processing from refrigerant-based assets, facilitating informed decision-making and enhancing system performance.
Comprehensive automation of inspections across multiple sites
By automating preventive maintenance and routine inspections, field teams can effortlessly log service activities, categorized by quantity at each site in your portfolio. The platform also delivers precise insights into refrigerant leaks' long-term trends and overall status across all locations.
Automate work order dispatch for repairs
You can automate the allocation of tasks to the correct technicians for repair or replacement based on calendar availability and inventory status.
Create consolidated ESG reports
Facilio consolidates HVACR data and automates reports from various sources into a single, organized package ready for audits. The software facilitates the generation of precise ESG reports, providing valuable insights into your compliance progress.
Further, it allows you to proactively build custom rules with complex relationships to streamline schedules, inventory levels, and other aspects.
This way, you can prioritize remedial actions based on root causes analysis and impacts in terms of severity and cost.
What users like about Facilio
Chris K, who works in Mechanical/Industrial Engineering, says that Facilio has "Outstanding support, technical expertise, and resources to provide solutions fast!"
In his words,
“Clean look, fast and user-friendly. Provides an efficient means to display the real-time data that is important to the situation. The ability for all users to contribute and collaborate easily really sets it apart.”
This review is sourced from GetApp, where Facilio has a stellar 4/5 rating!
Samsara
Samsara offers an IoT-based temperature monitoring solution designed for fleet tracking, particularly for food safety and distribution, pharmaceuticals, and logistics industries. Their system includes easy-to-install wireless sensors that monitor real-time temperature and humidity.
Samsara key features
- Sensors work with Samsara’s trackers, featuring an easy plug-and-play design with no software configuration needed.
- Waterproof, IP67-rated weatherproofing protects against environmental wear and tear and is ideal for refrigerated trailers.
What users like
“Overall, the experience has been a delight. Samsara is such a valuable program for the cost. Compliance is huge in my industry. I sleep better at night knowing that Samsara is tracking, collecting, and categorizing all regulated information. Even better, that I have access to it whenever/wherever I'm at.” - Josh.
What users don’t like
“The Temperature Sensors (EM21 & EM31) are calibrated in-house and are often off temperature. I have a stack of them that are 8° off from the actual temperature, which have to be returned for replacements. Unfortunately, this happens more than I would expect from them. I wish there was a way to calibrate them here.”—Verified user in the food and beverage industry.
OneEvent Technologies
OneEvent offers remote refrigeration monitoring using wireless temperature sensors for coolers, freezers, and refrigeration units, all managed through a cellular gateway. Data from temperature and door sensors is collected and analyzed in the cloud. When OneEvent detects that the temperature exceeds your pre-set limits, it sends a notification.
OneEvent Technologies' key features
What users like
“We no longer write down temperatures, and the records are continually updated in real time. It was very easy to add devices quickly; we just added our server room to the system.“ - Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County, Wi.
OneEvent ratings and review
- No ratings or review available
Monnit
Monnit offers a comprehensive refrigeration monitoring solution with advanced wireless sensors and cloud-based monitoring. It provides real-time data, customizable alerts, and historical data analytics. Monnit is relevant to food safety service, agriculture, and cold storage chain logistics industries.
Monnit key features
- The iPhone app allows for easy review of sensor data.
- The ALTA line offers an affordable way to capture data and receive alerts for potential issues.
- Receive notifications via email or text for customizable conditions.
What users like
“My Monnit system has already paid for itself. I've only had the system installed for a little over a month. Last Sunday, I received a high-temperature notification for one of my freezers. I stopped by our store, and someone had forgot to close the walk-in. I was able to save thousands of dollars in potential lost product!” - Sarah.
What users don’t like
“Their sensors are a waste of time if not used in a controlled environment (indoors only). We tested many; they consumed batteries extremely rapidly.” - Lloyd J. Scales.
Inauro
Inauro offers accurate time temperature monitoring and data analytics for cold storage chain logistics. This ensures product quality and safety during transportation. Integrating with asset management features, Inauro provides a comprehensive solution for maintaining optimal conditions and effectively monitoring assets throughout transit.
Inauro key features
- It integrates relevant business data and external sources to provide operators with real-time tailored insights.
- Its modular data fusion platform, Pepsio™, supports telemetry and non-telemetry data sources, enabling communication via push and pull methods.
What users like
“Inauro has made managing my assets much easier - no more driving around trying to spot the equipment; I just need to check Perspio, and it's all there.” - Kirk Histon.
Inauro ratings and review
- No ratings or review available
Danfoss
Danfoss is a powerful refrigeration monitoring system software that enables remote access and control of refrigeration systems. Its unique offerings include advanced analytics, energy optimization, and predictive maintenance. Danfoss is suitable for supermarkets, cold storage, and industrial refrigeration.
Danfoss key features
- The software provides a 24/7/365 automated alarm management system.
- Full transparency of all relevant assets, including those in Danfoss and non-Danfoss-controlled stores.
What users like
“Helped with my error codes on thermostat. I called up Danfoss because I had an E4 error code and previously tried to fix that on my own and it didn’t work. I had Daniel on the phone with me around 14:00; he helped me through the whole process. He was clear with what instructions he was giving, understanding if I needed a few seconds to collect items required & overall was just awesome!” - Saffron Greaves
What users don’t like
“Truly awful TP5001. I moved into a new building and expected a smart heating system, which was far from it. The screen is tiny, and the instructions are next to useless. Intermittently forgets number 3 schedule time. It's truly awful to control your temp manually. Customer service nonexistent.” - Chis Preston
OpSense
OpSense is an IoT platform that ensures food safety and quality in retail and food service industries. With its energy management features, OpSense closely monitors factors like temperature, humidity, open doors, and HVAC conditions. Additionally, OpSense offers convenient task management checklists, personalized alerts, and detailed reports to streamline your monitoring process.
OpSense key features
- Integrate data from sensors in walk-in coolers, or freezers and log the individual performing each task.
- Create and tailor multiple checklists to suit all your operational requirements.
- Completed checklists are dated and time-stamped upon being sent to the cloud.
What users like
“Being a useful platform, having a very detailed dashboard, and being able to access all kinds of reports I want are my favorite features. Finally, we have saved much time with this platform.” - Serhat C.
OpSense ratings and review
- G2: 5/5 (1 review)
Johnson Controls EcoStruxure™ Asset Advisor
Johnson Controls EcoStruxure™ Asset Advisor provides an advanced refrigeration monitoring system with valuable insights, predictive analytics, and remote diagnostics. It is relevant to supermarkets, convenience stores, and food distribution.
Johnson Controls EcoStruxure™ key features
- You are always connected to your refrigeration infrastructure, displaying live sensor data and asset-specific analytics.
- A remote temperature monitoring system from the connected service hub assesses the health of critical refrigeration assets such as electrical distribution, UPS and batteries, and necessary cooling.
What users like
“BMS system, its comprehensive technical architecture and excellent user representation, and product hardware is very stable.” -Shào Měng.
What users don’t like
“EcoStruxure integration aspect still needs to be strengthened; we should have a platform to solve some integration without the need for third-party plug-ins.” - Shào Měng.
Siemens Insights Hub (formerly Siemens Mindsphere)
Siemens Insights Hub offers an advanced refrigeration monitoring system solution with cloud-based analytics, machine learning, and predictive maintenance. It serves industries like data centers, pharmaceuticals, and critical storage facilities.
Siemens Insights Hub's key features
- SIMATIC HMI panels and industrial PCs are designed to withstand harsh environments, making them suitable for reliable refrigeration monitoring.
- With SIMATIC WinCC Unified, you get a comprehensive hardware and software solution that provides consistent control and monitoring functions.
What users like
“The user doesn't have to do much work and can now visualize the data in real-time. It's incredible how easy it is to create dashboards.” - Gustavo M.
What users don’t like
“Complexity of all the products and the inability for many of them to share the same data model.” - Chris C.
Liebherr Smart Monitoring
Liebherr Smart Monitoring provides comprehensive monitoring and control of refrigeration units. Its features include temperature monitoring, maintenance alerts, and energy efficiency optimization. Liebherr Smart Monitoring is relevant to industries like pharmaceuticals, laboratories, and research facilities.
Liebherr key features
- Regularly monitors appliance temperature independently of appliance controls.
- Generate service inquiries directly from the dashboard for efficient maintenance management.
- View temperature historical data and temperature compliance reports for comprehensive analysis and compliance tracking.
Liebherr ratings and review
- No ratings or review available
How to choose the right refrigeration monitoring system for multi-site portfolios
Legacy refrigeration monitoring systems need to catch up in several critical areas. They lack flexibility, making it difficult to incorporate changes quickly, especially when managing multiple sites.
Reporting is typically cumbersome and not real-time, increasing costs and dependencies on third-party tools. Integrating existing systems usually requires extensive coding and additional work, creating inefficiencies.
To overcome these pitfalls, look for modern solutions that offer rapid adaptability, seamless integration, and comprehensive monitoring capabilities.
When evaluating refrigeration monitoring systems for multi-site portfolios, consider these key points:
1. Rapid adaptability
Modern solutions should allow adjustments within a few months rather than the typical 6 to 12 months required by many legacy CMMS systems.
2. Centralized and actionable reporting
The reporting engine should operate on the same transactional database as the application to reduce costs and dependency on third-party tools while aligning reports with technician activities and relevant metrics.
3. Seamless integration
Lower reliance on specialized developers and reduced coding requirements leads to cost savings in software development and maintenance. Code-free integration simplifies processes like work order management and dispatching, which are often cumbersome with legacy software.
4. Comprehensive ecosystem
Choose a solution that offers a closed-loop ecosystem that encompasses maintenance, monitoring, and energy management into one platform. Such integration allows for unified management, facilitating faster issue resolution and ensuring more reliable operations.
5. IoT-driven future-proofing
Opt for systems that leverage IoT technology to provide real-time data and insights from connected sensors. IoT-enabled platforms enhance predictive maintenance by continuously monitoring your refrigeration units’ health and performance.
6. Cloud command and bi-directional control
Ensure the software has cloud command and control. This allows for efficient remote management of complex energy optimization strategies. Additionally, it facilitates monitoring system response and optimization status, allowing for easy toggling of strategies as needed.7. Improved experience and SLAs adherence
The provider should have a proven track record in the refrigeration and facilities management industry, with experience handling similar challenges faced by multi-site retail operations.
8. Analytics & dashboarding
The system should have analytics and dashboards to study energy patterns—daily, hourly, and monthly usage, portfolio benchmarking, store-level heatmaps, and more.
9. Connected telemetry data
The software should have reduced commissioning setup time to just days, be able to monitor real-time equipment health and system performance and eliminate the redundancy of fragmented data analysis.
10. End-to-end facility management
- Comprehensive suite: For FM companies, the solution should offer a full suite of services covering all aspects of facility management.
- Specialized management: If the focus is on service technician management for refrigeration units, the system should excel in dispatch and FSM, even if maintenance is managed through Excel or in-house tools.
Facilio checks all of these boxes and then some more. :)
If you'd like to learn more about how Facilio can help you unify, streamline, and optimize refrigeration systems at a portfolio scale, book a demo below!
Get a centralized platform for refrigeration monitoring and visibility across sites.
The hidden costs of refrigerant leaks
In companies that build their businesses around commercial refrigeration, the cost of inefficiencies can be staggering. Refrigerant leaks, often considered minor technical issues, can have profound financial repercussions.
When translated into tangible terms, the impact of these leaks becomes undeniable. For instance, consider that just 100 pounds of leaked refrigerant equates to the profit margin of selling 130,000 gallons of milk.
The need to offset these losses through increased sales can place a considerable strain on business operations. You’d end up diverting resources to manage leaks detracts from core business activities, potentially leading to lost sales and decreased customer satisfaction.
The financial case for intelligent refrigerant monitoring software is this situation is compelling. Modern refrigeration softwares help by predictively catching leaks early so you can avoid the significant financial drain caused by extensive damage.
Conclusion
With power and refrigeration comes the need to stay sustainable. With the EPA cracking down on retail businesses' refrigerant use and environmental fallouts, many enterprises are seeking solutions and methods to monitor leaks and detect issues to comply with the new regulations.
One of the biggest hurdles to embracing sustainability initiatives is the perception that energy is either just a cost to be managed or that strategically managing it is prohibitively expensive.
This misconception is fueled by the problem of silos—a significant pitfall of legacy refrigeration monitoring software. These outdated systems often operate in isolation, with multiple point systems at every store and decentralized ownership of energy management. This fragmentation makes it nearly impossible to benchmark and manage energy strategically across the enterprise.
In contrast, connected refrigeration software solutions like Facilio’s break down these silos. It offers centralized platforms that consolidate data from various points into a single, cohesive system. This unified approach allows for enterprise-wide energy management, facilitating benchmarking and strategic planning. Retailers can set energy performance goals, track progress in real time, and implement best practices consistently across multiple locations.
The key drivers for software-led energy efficiency in retail refrigeration systems are clear: real-time data, centralized management, and predictive analytics. These tools transform energy from a mere cost to be managed into a strategic asset that can be optimized.
Stay ahead of evolving regulations and customer expectation always.
FAQ
What is a commercial refrigerator monitoring system?
A commercial refrigerator monitoring system tracks and manages the temperature, humidity, and performance of refrigeration units in real time. It sends the collected data to a centralized system that recommends needed maintenance solutions.
What is the temperature monitoring policy for refrigerators?
The temperature monitoring policy requires daily documentation of each refrigerator's temperature on the refrigerator temperature log, especially during seasonal events. The acceptable temperature range is 33 – 40°F. If temperatures are outside this range, corrective action must be taken, and perishables must be discarded. Recheck and document temperatures every 4 hours until stabilized.
