Woolworths integrates refrigeration with heating / AC
The Woolworths store opened on 6 December and is the retailer’s first to have a fully integrated HVAC&R transcritical CO2 system.
In another significant step towards achieving its 2020 sustainability goals, Australian retailer Woolworths is taking towards its 2020 sustainability goals, the company’s first transcritical CO2 system fully integrating the store’s HVAC&R systems will be commissioned on 6 December.
“With this store, we have virtually eliminated synthetic refrigerants from the supermarket,” Woolworths Sustainable Innovations Engineer Dario Ferlin told this website.
The store, located in Prestons, NSW, employs the use of two HVAC integrated transcritical CO2 compressor racks “complete with factory fitted switchboards and controls by Bitzer Australia”.
The system has 34 kW of low temperature and 205 kW of medium and high-temperature refrigeration capacity.
Notably, the transcritical CO2 system has been “completely locally designed, manufactured and installed for 45°C ambient,” Ferlin adds, in an indication of the progress being made in boosting local availability of this technology in Australia.
“With this store, we have virtually eliminated synthetic refrigerants from the supermarket.”
– Dario Ferlin, Woolworths
The system has a “design space cooling load of 320 kW, serviced by the production of ‘Chilled Water’ (CHW),” Ferlin said. Opposite that is the “design space heating load of 125kW, serviced by the production of ‘Heating Hot Water’ (HHW).”
The system controls were provided by Dixell (Emerson) and the system’s gas coolers were provided by Güntner.
The installation contractor was Woolworths’ internal installation team Woolworths Refrigeration Installation (WRI).
Ten natural systems by 2020
This is Woolworths’ third installation of a transcritical CO2 system in Australia.
In July 2017, Woolworths commissioned its first transcritical CO2 system in Colebee, NSW (pictured above) and in July 2018, it commissioned its second transcritical CO2 system in Wadalba, NSW.
The company states that, “by 2020 we will install ten natural systems employing technologies such as transcritical CO2 or water loop,” in its ‘Corporate Responsibility Strategy 2020’ report.
In addition, Ferlin adds that this third store also includes “Woolworths’ largest solar panel installation — 400kW — on the roof”.
Ferlin said he expects to collect energy performance data from this latest installation over the next 6–12 months.
The Woolworths installation in Prestons follows the installation of another fully integrated HVAC&R transcritical CO2 system at an IGA in Melbourne in March of this year.
Originally published on Dec 05, 2018:
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