Opportunities in Grid Based Cold Storages & Pack houses
Features of Energy Efficient Cold Storage
- With India setting a target of net-zero carbon emission by 2070, efficient use of electricity is gaining importance, as a part of its plans to achieve carbon neutrality, the government will soon come up with guidelines to enhance energy efficiency in cold storages.
- Every commodity requires a particular optimum temperature. It should not be a one-size-fits-all approach. Cold Storage should select commodity-wise specifications and parameters for pulses, fruits and vegetables etc.
- Cold chain design guidelines and recommendations on the use of star-rated cooling appliances are being formulated by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to ensure energy-efficient cold storage infrastructure in India.
- The guidelines recommend the design and layout of cold storage is a major aspect for making cold storage energy efficient.
- Processes improvement and operation and maintenance (O&M) best practices improve energy efficiency and reduce operational cost.
Energy Efficient Measures
Design Aspect:
- Proper orientation and shading for minimizing solar heat gains.
- Selection of Wall and Roof insulation material for reduce cooling demand load.
- Provision for natural ventilation.
- Use of Natural lighting to reduce lighting load.
- Optimized size of pre-cooling and cold rooms based on uses.
- Design of Airtight doors for pre-cooling and cold rooms.
- Fast roll-up doors to prevent hot/moist air infiltration.
- Pre-cooling and staging cold room insulation with optimum thermal performance.
- Selection of refrigerants with better environmental and thermal performance.
- Use of IOT based systems for efficiently control and managed Cold Storage / Cold Packhouse and effectively manage refrigeration plant and indoor environmental parameters.
Energy Efficiency in Refrigeration Appliances
In a typical refrigerated warehouse, 15% of the total electricity consumption is used for running pumps, motors, fans, conveyors and lighting systems, 5% is for sanitation and cleaning, and the remaining 80% is used for cooling, freezing and refrigeration. For this reason, many cost-effective energy savings opportunities exist for refrigeration systems, particularly for large systems such as cold rooms.
What are the key features that make a cold room more energy efficient?
| Component | How | Energy Savings |
|---|---|---|
| High–efficiency compressor | New generation compressors use less energy to supply a given pressure. | 4-10% |
| Electronically commutated evaporator-fan motors | They offer an operational efficiency of 50% to 60% These motors also run cooler and typically have a longer operating life. | 5-19% |
| Electronically commutated condenser-fan motors | They use a built-in inverter and a magnet rotor, and as a result, are able to achieve greater efficiency in air-flow systems than conventional AC motors. | 3-8% |
| Variable speed drive (VSD) fitted to the compressor | This type of compressor uses a special drive to control the speed (RPM) of the unit, which in turn saves energy compared to a fixed speed equivalent. | 9-19% |
| Structure insulation (+25 mm) | Rigid polyurethane foam allows thermal-insulation for higher retention of desired temperatures. | 6% |
| Sealing | High density/ automated doors and plastic strip curtains are a cheap and efficient method to keep the cool air inside when shifting produce to and from the cool room. | 1-6% |
| High-efficiency lighting | LED solutions consume much less energy and have a longer duration than traditional incandescent bulbs. | <19% |
| Energy management system and/or controls |
This controls how much energy components use, which makes it an important link in the system. Ensuring temperature settings leads to significant savings over time. | <60% |
| Refrigerants | Shifting to lower-GWP (Global Warming Potential) refrigerants could lead to significant savings over the life of the equipment. Some examples of low (GWF) are R134A and R407F. | Savings calculated on carbon price per tonne |
There are several additional measures that can increase the efficiency of the cold room/ pack house:
- Regular maintenance will ensure that a unit runs more efficiently, is more reliable and will have a longer service life. Regular maintenance can save about 5% of the energy costs and can ensure a longer service life of the equipment, reduce ongoing service costs, and lower the risks of breakdowns.
- Shade: Make sure your cold room has additional shade provided by structures or vegetation. Cool rooms are best placed in the southern end of the shed, and shed doors and openings should preferably face south.
- Management: The greatest efficiency is attained when the cool room is full but not overloaded. Ensure that doors are kept shut.