Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Refrigerated Display Merchandisers and Storage Cabinets

ARI Standard 1200: Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Refrigerated Display Merchandisers and Storage Cabinets

For engineers and designers in the commercial refrigeration sector, ensuring accurate performance metrics and energy efficiency is paramount. ARI Standard 1200 provides an essential framework for achieving this, offering a proven methodology for rating the performance of critical equipment used in food and beverage retail.

What is ARI Standard 1200?

Developed by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), Standard 1200 is an authoritative document that establishes definitions, testing procedures, and rating requirements for commercial refrigerated display merchandisers and storage cabinets. Its primary purpose is to enable consistent and comparable energy consumption performance data across the industry for these vital units.

Scope & Purpose

This comprehensive standard governs the performance rating of standard catalog commercial refrigerated display merchandisers and storage cabinets designed for direct expansion refrigeration systems. It specifically covers self-contained and remote units, as well as open, closed, service, and self-service configurations. Excluded from its scope are refrigerated storage room front walls, miter transition display merchandisers, floral merchandisers, refrigerated vending machines, ice makers, ice cream dipping cabinets, soft serve extruders, and secondary coolant applications.

Who Must Comply?

• • Primary Audience: Refrigeration engineers, product design engineers, test technicians, quality assurance managers, and compliance officers.
• • Industries Affected: Food and beverage retail, supermarkets, restaurants, and commercial refrigeration manufacturing.
• • Compliance Nature: Voluntary, but widely adopted for product comparison and marketing.
• • Enforcement: Primarily through self-certification by manufacturers and verification by customers or third-party testing agencies.

Key Requirements Overview

ARI Standard 1200 mandates a structured approach to performance evaluation. The standard requires:

• • Standardized Definitions: Clear definitions of terms to ensure consistent understanding across the industry.
• • Defined Test Conditions: Specific environmental and operational conditions under which testing must be conducted to ensure comparability.
• • Performance Metrics: Establishment of key performance indicators, such as energy efficiency ratios (EER) and coefficients of performance (COP), for both remote and self-contained units.
• • Published Rating Data: Minimum data requirements for manufacturers to disclose, facilitating transparent product comparisons for engineers and end-users.
• • Marking and Nameplate Information: Requirements for clear and consistent labeling of essential performance data on the equipment itself.

Related Standards & References

While ARI Standard 1200 focuses on performance rating, it often works in conjunction with other industry standards. For example, standards related to refrigeration system components or energy conservation codes may provide complementary requirements or reference methodologies found within ARI 1200. Understanding these interdependencies is crucial for holistic design and compliance.