Effectively manage the temperature within buildings
The ambient temperature in the workplace is essential to ensure that employees feel comfortable and can work in optimal conditions. It should be adjusted according to the activities carried out on site.
Energy consumption for heating can fluctuate depending on the weather and due to air leaks in the building envelope, especially when it’s poorly or not insulated. For more information on ways to improve the building envelope, please refer to the measure Improving the energy efficiency of the building envelope
Installation or replacement of a centralised refrigerating system
Cold production is used to cool down a room or a component, preserve food products, control the temperature of a process or ensure proper air conditioning.
Installing a centralised refrigeration unit generally offers better efficiency than a decentralised installation, reduces noise and heat disturbance in occupied rooms and frees up space in the cooled area, as the equipment is installed in a dedicated room.
However, this solution requires a higher investment and the involvement of a qualified refrigeration technician. Below are all the necessary steps to prepare for the installation of a centralised refrigeration system.
The use of traditional sectional doors in the industrial and automotive sectors is often a source of significant heat loss and discomfort for personnel. This is mainly due to their high frequency of use and the length of time they remain open. Often, for the sake of simplicity and time saving, doors are left open for long periods.
Thanks to their automated opening enabled by presence detectors while minimising opening and closing times, the doors help improve indoor temperature stability and reduce temperature fluctuations. Reducing large temperature variations also prevents heating and air conditioning system from repeatedly switching on and off, which can cause malfunctions and reduce system reliability.
This measure can lead to a reduction in annual heating consumption of more than 30% and proportionally reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The installation of this easy-to-implement technology does not require a production shutdown and would offer a fast return on investment.
Installation of air curtains for cold storage rooms in a restaurant
The project consists in fitting cold rooms and/or freezers in the butcher shop with cold air curtains to prevent warm air flows from entering cold rooms and freezers when their doors are opened.
By installing this technology, which has been available on the market for over 5 years, the company can save on its electricity bills by an estimated 10%. This measure is rather easy to implement and would entail a medium-to-long-term return on investment. Implementing this measure does not require production shutdown during the technical installation stage.
Utilization of condenser heat for domestic hot water production in a restaurant.
A refrigeration cycle works by drawing heat from the evaporator and discharging it to the outside (condenser). The project’s idea consists in recovering this heat to be discharged to preheat domestic hot water (DHW), which is necessary in every restaurant. The exchanger is placed between the compressor and the condenser of the cooling unit.
In practice, recovery can be implemented in three different ways:
Via external exchanger: an exchanger is connected on one side to the compressor outlet and on the other to the hot water tank (partial recovery).
Via internal exchanger: a “desuperheater” through which the refrigerant flows are inserted at the bottom of the hot water tank upstream of the condenser.
Via condensation water collector: all the refrigerant is condensed inside the hot water tank (total recovery).
By installing this technology, which has been available on the market for more than 5 years, the company can save significantly on its energy bills, and even cut its hot water consumption, which will result in reducing its carbon footprint (the benefits will depend on the initial mode of domestic hot water production). However, implementing this measure can be complex and taking into account energy costs alone may not be sufficient for a return on investment. It also requires temporary production shutdown during the technical installation stage.
Replacement and centralisation of cold production units with a variable speed compressor
In a restaurant, the cold room’s refrigeration cycle is often subject to variations in operation.
The air evaporator is influenced by the climate of the room it cools (opening and closing of doors, loading of food, etc.) while the condenser also depends on the climate through the outside temperature.
The project consists in replacing small production units supplying cold rooms with a main, centralised cold production unit, controlled with a frequency variation on the refrigeration compressor motor.
By installing this technology, which has been available on the market for more than 5 years, the company can save up to 15% on its electricity bills and reduce its carbon footprint. However, implementing this measure can be complex and requires the temporary shutdown of production during the technical installation stage. But the return on investment will be fast thanks to the savings achieved.
Heat recovery from the condensers of the refrigeration units to preheat domestic hot water (DHW)
A refrigeration cycle works by capturing heat from the evaporator inside the cold rooms, to subsequently discharge it towards the condenser outside the building. This project aims to recover this heat to preheat domestic hot water (DHW) which is a must in all butcher shops. To do this, a heat exchanger is installed between the compressor and the condenser of the refrigeration unit.
This measure could reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by 10 to 30%, thereby significantly reducing or even eliminating energy demand for domestic hot water (DHW) production. However, its implementation is complex and will require a temporary production shutdown to during the installation.
Replacement of individual refrigeration units with a single unit fitted with a variable speed compressor.
In a butcher shop, the refrigeration cycle ensures the cold rooms are cooled. These refrigeration units, which are subject to operating variations, are often separate and not or very little regulated.
The project consists in replacing small production units supplying cold rooms with a main, centralised cold production unit, controlled with a frequency variation on the refrigeration compressor motor.
By installing this technology, which has been available on the market for more than 5 years, the company may save between 15 and 20% on its energy bills. Although this measure has a fast return on investment, implementing it is complex and requires a temporary production shutdown.
The heat recovered from the condensers of the refrigeration units is used to heat domestic hot water. It is a refrigeration cycle that works by drawing heat from the evaporator and discharging it to the outside (condenser). The idea behind the project involves recovering this waste heat to preheat domestic hot water (DHW).
This technology is suitable for food businesses with refrigeration units (cold rooms, refrigerated units, air conditioning, etc.).
By installing this technology, which has been available on the market for more than 5 years, the company can save on its electricity bills and reduce its carbon footprint. However, implementing this measure can be complex with a medium-to-long-term return on investment, and requires the temporary shutdown of production during the technical installation stage
The project involves installing sun control window films on the exterior glazing, which can help reduce the amount of solar heat entering the building. In summer, air conditioning needs and associated energy consumption are reduced. In winter, the need for heating and associated energy consumption may increase slightly.
Sun control window films are suitable for commercial buildings, shop windows and existing businesses with large glazed areas which are likely to overheat inside and have increased air conditioning needs due to solar radiation.
By installing this technology, which has been available on the market for more than 5 years, the company can save on its electricity bills and reduce its carbon footprint, but above all improve comfort. This measure is relatively simple to implement, has a quick return on investment and does not require production shutdown during the technical installation.
There are different types of solar film that can be used to control the solar radiation according to need and season, guaranteeing protection and thermal optimisation in both winter and summer, without any loss of luminosity.
