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Andre Paz Rosa, commercial appliances R&D and product strategy senior director for Nidec Global Appliance looks at components integration as the path toward decarbonisation in the cooling sector.
In our view, the integration of components is the next step in
improving refrigeration equipment performance, since it delivers higher levels of energy effi ciency while making the system operate
synchronously and
intelligently. T
he world has been facing a monumental challenge: global warming and the resulting climate change. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service,
the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme, January 2024 marked the eighth month in a row with global temperatures rising by 1.3-1.7 degrees Celsius above the average. In response to this urgency, decarbonisation has become a global priority.
The cooling industry is essential to the preservation of
food, beverages, medicine, vaccines, lab samples and the list of its importance to mankind goes on and on. It means quality of life, comfort, and health. But, on the other hand, it is responsible for approximately 10% of global CO2
according to some estimates researched by Birmingham University, in a study about clean cooling.
The study also says that “around 20%-25% of CO2 equivalent emissions from the cooling sector are produced by leaks of hydrofl uorocarbon refrigerant gases (‘F-gases’)”. The other 75% of the cooling sector’s emissions, still according to the same study, come from energy consumption. Another research institute, the IIR (International Institute for Refrigeration), by its turn, says that the cooling sector (including refrigeration and air conditioning) consumes about 17% of the overall electricity used worldwide. This reality makes it crucial to reduce energy consumption on the refrigeration industry’s path toward decarbonisation, as energy generation is still predominantly based on highly polluting sources such as natural gas, coal, and other petroleum derivatives. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in 2022, the electric power sector was responsible for 34% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy effi ciency is the fastest and most aff ordable way to decarbonise our economy and ensure reliable and sustainable energy for everyone on the planet. According to an IEA (International Energy Agency) report, it is the path that accounts for 44% of the emissions reductions in IEA’s Sustainable Development Scenario, in relation to other actions, such as renewable energy, nuclear energy, etc.
In the commercial refrigeration
segment, to address this challenge, it is essential to adopt technologies that allow us to consume less energy without compromising cooling performance since the market demands sustainability with effi ciency, fl exibility, and reliability. In this scenario, integrating components of the refrigeration system, with precise and
16 June 2024 •
www.acr-news.com
synchronised control, stands out as the most prominent path toward a more sustainable and effi cient future. The fundamental question is: how can value be added to the
emissions,
refrigeration equipment and to the environment at the same time while ensuring better product preservation? The answer is: thinking diff erently about the components that are already part of the system. Currently, plug-in application manufacturers use several electronic components from diff erent suppliers, each one with a diff erent software, which complicates the optimisation of the equipment operation. However, one can make components work in an integrated way with a common software tool for diff erent devices, achieving performance more easily and in less adjustment time.
Key synchronised components Component integration means that you take the key components of a refrigeration system and make them work together in a synchronised way. The key components of a usual refrigeration system are: ■ The compressor is the heart of the system. The most effi - cient are the ones with variable speed technology, featuring an inverter that adjusts the compressor’s speed to the system’s demand, resulting in signifi cant energy savings and maintaining temperature more stable, even during peak demand.
■ The fan responsible for the air circulation in the cabinet. The versions with electronic motors have a market benchmark effi ciency of up to 70%, available with single, multi, or varia- ble speeds and diff erent kinds of fi xation methods.
■ The controller is the electronic device that manages the sys- tem, following predefi ned parameters. It has the potential to enhance energy effi ciency and system stability through fea- tures like adaptive defrost and adaptive door heater control.
■ The development tool: Some systems could have their pa- rameters established in a single development interface. It is what allows the synchronisation of functions for optimised performance. The more ‘intelligent’ and simplifi ed the interface, with the possibility to automate parameters, the more it reduces the system’s setup time and simplifi es the whole process.
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