Energy Saving without Structural Changes

All industrial ammonia refrigeration systems have the potential for cost savings without the need for physical modifications.

It's always essential to take a holistic view of the system or site. The machinery room, where the refrigeration occurs, naturally offers optimization opportunities. However, considering the consumers is equally crucial.

Which cold room or production line doesn't reach the required temperature and therefore needs to be adjusted further? This means that partially, megawatt systems must run just because a cold room or consumer with X kW isn't functioning properly. Therefore, it's important to engage with the production or warehouse manager.

Also, determining if storage temperatures of -25°C are truly necessary for freezing or if -24°C or -23°C might suffice is crucial.

An industrial ammonia refrigeration system tends to be the largest expense in terms of energy operating costs. Even a 1% energy saving calculated over the year can quickly save tens of thousands of euros.

When the energy demand for product manufacturing decreases, the product's margin increases.

Other points include the defrosting of air coolers, door opening times, or items that have no place in a cold room but are simply stored there due to space constraints. Sometimes, staff and management may not be aware of when the refrigeration system is working unnecessarily due to ingrained behaviors that have developed in everyday routines.

Refrigeration also offers potential for optimization. Just the regular cleaning of condensers to keep the condensation temperature as low as possible saves substantial money. Control settings can also be adjusted to account for summer/winter or weekend/after-hours operation. Remember: Increasing the evaporation temperature by just 1°C saves 3-5% of energy on the compressor motor. Lowering the condensation temperature by 1°C saves 1-3%. This means achieving savings of 5-10% is quite realistically achievable without investments in structural changes.