Swiss cold storage operator Grünenfelder has installed its first integrated CO2 (R744) heating and cooling system for a facility in Quartino, replacing an old problematic R507A system with a TotalGreEnergy system from Swiss OEM Biaggini Frigoriferi.
The new integrated CO2 system from Biaggini, whose headquarters is located very close to Quartino, will service five medium-temperature cold rooms, a 1,000m2 (10,764ft2) low-temperature room at -28°C (-18.4°F) and an unloading ramp. The system will also supply the air-conditioning system and heating. For the heat pump operation, the auxiliary system is using groundwater as the heat source.
“With our TotalGreEnergy system we’ll satisfy all the energy requirements of the building (refrigeration, heating and air-conditioning), which will be 100% CO2 friendly and HFC free,” said Luca Rossi, Project Manager with Biaggini Frigoriferi.
The choice to go with CO2 was not difficult for Grünenfelder, Rossi explained, citing efficiency, reliability and Biaggini’s experience with CO2 systems as benefits. Most importantly however, is that in Switzerland it is mandatory to use natural refrigerants in systems above 20kW (5.7TR) capacity, according to Rossi.
The TotalGreEnergy CO2 system from Biaggini Frigoriferi is equipped with Dorin compressors, LU-VE evaporators and gas cooler and Eliwell controllers. The evaporators were installed in May, and the rack and gas cooler will be installed within the next couple of weeks, Rossi said. The new system is being installed while the old one is still in operation, making things a bit difficult, according to Rossi, but he expects to commission the new system in late summer or early autumn.
“With our TotalGreEnergy system we’ll satisfy all the energy requirements of the building (refrigeration, heating and air-conditioning), which will be 100% CO2 friendly and HFC free,”
Luca Rossi, Biaggini Frigoriferi.
Biaggini introduced the TotalGreEnergy rack during Euroshop in 2020. The system is designed for outdoor installation and “includes refrigeration, heating and air-conditioning, is ready-to-install and [is] suitable for all climates,” Rossi said at the time.
Biaggini has also introduced a reversible CO2 chiller, called the ReversinGreEnergy. These units can function as both heat pumps and chillers, “satisfying heating and cooling needs at the same time.” The first installation of the ReversinGreEnergy was made in a Swiss mall in June 2021.
A unique feature of these new reversible chillers are double coils, where the gas cooler and evaporator coils are separated, ensuring the “best performances in both heating and cooling mode,” while at the same time optimizing the defrost cycle.
Want to find out more, or have something to say about this story? Join the ATMO Connect network to meet and engage with like-minded stakeholders in the clean cooling and natural refrigerant arena.
