Industry

Refrigeration

Refrigeration technology is an inherent part of many production and logistics processes and is widely used in trade and industry. Therefore, various technologies are deployed and the size of refrigeration systems differs greatly. However, all of these systems have one thing in common, i.e. they generate cooling energy that must be incorporated into the product or process.

Even though refrigeration technology is used extensively, it was rarely considered as a  possibility for improving energy efficiency until now. However, in refrigeration technology, there is often great potential for reducing energy costs. In particular, this concerns the continuous operating costs of such systems, which may account for up to 80% of the total costs associated with a refrigeration system.

General approaches for improving efficiency:

• Improved heat insulation
• Reduced heat radiation
• Adjusted "busy" times and operating times
• Basic process design
• Optimised power, pressure and temperature levels
• Efficient control technology
• Detailed design and selection of individual components
• Use of thermal cooling machines, for example, with solar heat, district heating, industrial waste heat as well as waste heat from combined heat and power systems (CHPs)

Thorough planning and system optimisation can significantly lower the costs associated with the production of cooling energy. Therefore, it is important that the purchase price is not the primary determining factor when purchasing a refrigeration system. Rather, the total cost, including the very high lifetime operating costs associated with refrigeration systems, should be considered. German refrigeration technicians have expert knowledge of high-quality, energy-efficient systems. This is reflected, for example, in thermal cooling machines, which are an energy-saving alternative to electrical refrigeration systems. Thermal cooling machines use heat energy directly for cooling purposes. Accumulated industrial waste heat, which would otherwise go unused, provides a good source of heat in this case. If heat is generated from free solar energy through the use of solar-thermal technology, an almost CO2-neutral operation is achievable. It is also possible to combine refrigeration systems with combined heat and power systems (CHPs). The economic efficiency of CHPs is heavily dependent on a continuous heat requirement. By combining it with the refrigeration system, the CHP is utilised more during warmer times of the year and is therefore more economically efficient. German manufacturers provide highly efficient thermal cooling machines with cooling capacities for almost all areas of application. In Germany, approximately 2,200 companies active in the area of refrigeration and air-conditioning employ 15,000 people. Their annual combined turnover is in the region of three billion euro and exports account for 40% of their total sales.