business

Coca-Cola Japan to reduce vending machine power consumption by 15% during summer

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Coca-Cola (Japan) Co and the Coca-Cola system in Japan, which comprises eight bottling partners nationwide, will implement rotational cooling system suspension on approximately 800,000 vending machines nationwide as a voluntary vending machine energy saving activity during the summer.

This will reduce power usage by 15% (in comparison with the peak power use from summer 2010), the company said.

Also, energy conservation is being conducted with the increased installation of “peak shift” vending machines, which were rolled out across Japan starting in 2013.

Rotational cooling system suspension

From July 1 to Sept 30, cooling operations will be suspended in rotation for approximately 800,000 can and PET bottle vending machines nationwide (excluding Okinawa) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., which are the peak hours of electricity consumption.

Rotational cooling suspension for vending machines was announced as an industry-leading energy saving plan by the Coca-Cola system on April 15, 2011, soon after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The company said it exceeded the government targets and reduced power usage by approximately 33% (in the TEPCO distribution area) in the summer of 2011, when electricity shortages were the major concern, and by 15% in the summers of 2012 and 2013.

Increased installation of energy conserving peak shift vending machines

The Coca-Cola system this summer also is planning to increase the installation of peak shift vending machines, which were developed as energy saving vending machines that can supply beverages at a suitable temperature at all times. They also have greater power usage reduction than rotational cooling suspension. Installation of peak shift vending machines began nationwide in January 2013, and 28,000 machines were installed in the first year, which surpassed the initial target of 25,000 machines. This year, Coca-Cola said it is aiming to install an additional 45,000 units for a total of 73,000 machines expected to be in market by year-end.

A stabilized period of energy demand between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. was demanded in the revised Act on the Rational Use of Energy of April 2014, but peak shift vending machines are unique in that they surpass this demand by suspending cooling for up to16 hours between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., which reduces the power consumed by up to 95% while still providing chilled beverages. These vending machines also use natural CO2HFC-free refrigerants.

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4 Comments
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Notice how they phrase this: " that can supply beverages at a suitable temperature at all times"** Pray tell just what is their definition of 'suitable temperature' ???? Bottom line for customer: Hot Summer = Warm Coke Bottom line: Don't buy Coke out of a vending machine this summer, just slide on over to your local 7/11 where you know it will be cold!

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I wonder how much power the new ones in Tokyo consume, with a 40" Touch Screen display in the front to select your drink? Lots of special graphic effects when you choose a drink, but one glitch, and it turns into a massive useless paperweight...

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Surely an easier solution would be to reduce the number of vending machines by 15%?

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I like the sensible idea of doing the cooling during the cooler times of the day (at least until we can wean people off this dangerous syrup). How about solar panels for those many vending machines that aren't in the shade?

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