On April 17, 2024, manufacturing conglomerate and Fortune 500 companyHoneywellreleased news of anew technologythat will make cold storage 46% more energy efficient in comparison to traditional units that are ammonia-powered.
Thanks to Honeywell’s collaboration with Q-REF, a French cold storage unit company, stakeholders will be able to meet the goals of the EU’s “Fit for 55” strategy which aims to bring greenhouse gas emissions down 55% by the year 2023.
Energy Efficient Cold Storage
Honeywell’s Solstice®, the company’s ultra-low GWP refrigerant (less than 1 — an impressive 99.9% lower than previous models, like the R-134a), has been designed for air-cooled and water-cooled commercial refrigeration for many applications, including commercial buildings, heat pumps, refrigerators, supermarkets, vending machines, CO2 cascade systems, and more.
The expenses for powering cold storage amount to 50–70% of its overall cost, meaning that Scope 3emissionsare exceptionally high for those who need these units, i.e., retailers, restaurants, and food producers. This new technology will give these companies a boost to swiftly meet their decarbonization and energy-efficiency goals.
Q-REF KIBO Chiller
The KIBO chiller, equipped with a Danfoss Turbocor oil-free compressor and an R1234ze refrigerant, has been designed to offer superior energy efficiency and offers maintenance cost savings of 20%. It’s also around 30% smaller and lighter than ammonia-powered units, and much quieter, too.
With cooling capabilities of 200–900kW, these plug-and-play units can produce glycol water of temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C). They also feature a flooded evaporator, and are available with either water-cooled or air-cooled condensers.
EU Fit for 55
Since the EU announced the Fit for 55 package of legislation in 2019, companies have been striving to adhere to its core principle: energy efficiency first. As part of the European Green Deal strategy, Fit for 55 aims for a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
In addition to helping customers align with these goals, reduce their emissions, and improve performance and safety, Honeywell’s Solstice will also keep them in compliance with the latestF-Gasregulation revision.
Honeywell and Q-REF’s Energy Efficient Cold Storage Solutions—Conclusion
The vice president and general manager of Honeywell Advanced Materials in EMEA, Julien Soulet, noted that the company’s Solstice technology is vital for helping manufacturers like Q-REF develop energy-efficient chillers that meet the EU’s energy consumption regulatory targets.
With over $1 billion invested in research and development since it was first introduced in 2011, Honeywell reports having avoided the release of over 326 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air (the equivalent to thecarbon emissionsof around 70 million gas-powered vehicles a year).
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