Victoria
New South Wales
South Australia
QueenslandRefrigerated Display Cabinet Upgrades (RDCs) have recently become eligible for rebates in New South Wales and Victoria under various schemes. These financial incentives are created for the energy savings achieved through the installation of the RDC.
The Schemes
In Victoria, this falls under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program and generates Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates, known as VEECs. In NSW, there are two schemes: the Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) which generates Energy Saving Certificates (ESCs); and the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) which created Peak Energy Reduction Certificates, or PERCs for short.
The great news is that in NSW, RDCs will generate both ESCs and PERCs.
What is a Refrigerated Display Cabinet (RDC)?
An RDC is an insulated cabinet that has the capacity to keep the temperature inside a range that overlaps with the range of -18°C to +10°C. It has to be primarily designed for storage, display or both, for cold and frozen products.
In short, it’s the display cabinet at a local cafe, the fridges in the dairy aisle at the shopping centre, and beverage fridges at restaurants.
Furthermore, the certificates are only available for RDCs in retail environments. For example, the hospitality and service industry, shopping centres and corner stores.
The certificates created will differ based on the technology and size of the RDC being installed.
When Can I Claim This?
In Victoria, you can install an RDC under the VEU scheme now. In New South Wales, you can claim ESCs now, however cannot claim the PERCs that would have been generated until approximately November. All installations are eligible for the PDRS scheme, however the certificate creation through your Accredited Provider such as Ecovantage, will be held until November.
What is the Benefit?
It goes without saying the installation of energy efficient products in a business will reduce the energy consumption of a business and, consequently, their energy bills.
Beyond this, the financial benefit of claiming PERCs or VEECs for RDCs is it gives the freedom for operators in a retail environment to own their own equipment, rather than entering into long-standing contracts and being bound to stock particular products associated with the lease of their refrigeration products.
The low or no cost for the installation of these products is a rare opportunity for business owners to upgrade and/or increase the range of their refrigeration products with recognised brands such as Bromic. Previously, this would not have been possible. After a difficult couple of years for small business owners, this opportunity will allow them access to not only upgrade from older, less energy-efficient products, but also gain an asset for their business in the process.
For more information on installing RDCs or managing the schemes associated, please contact our team on customer.service@ecovantage.com.au
