News

Emerson takes a model approach to retail systems research and technology development

Simulated retail environment will foster greater systems and controls innovations.

September 21, 2015

In a quest to create and develop new technologies on refrigeration, lighting and ventilation in retail environments, Emerson Climate Technologies is putting the finishing touches on a model supermarket for needed research and design efforts.

The 2,500-square-foot model environment, which will boast everything from point-of-sale terminals to refrigerated cases and dry goods shelves on walls, is one of five research segments housed in The Helix innovation center located on the University of Dayton campus, according to a CSP Daily Newsreport.

"Our work in The Helix will be highly collaborative," Mitch Knapke, director food retail marketing and business development at Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration business, told CSP. "We look forward to the opportunity to get into this space with our customers and industry partners to test and evaluate new approaches to the retail experience, from food safety to lighting to HVAC and new refrigerants."

The research and testing environment will let Emerson developers and designers study various systems and controls in a real-world retail environment.

"We want to study the entire supermarket and c-store experience, not just from an equipment standpoint but from the point of view of a shopper," Rajan Rajendran, VP, system innovation center and sustainability for Emerson Climate Technologies, told CSP. "We want to make this as real world as possible, looking at system performance on very hot days, for example, and evaluating systems holistically for their environmental impact."