Danfoss components are helping Danish supermarket chain Fakta save 10% on the energy consumption of its refrigeration systems, which use CO₂ as a refrigerant instead of the traditional HFC (hydrofluorocarbons) refrigerants.

 

Danfoss temperature sensors, electronic valves, controllers and monitoring products are working full throttle to help ensure optimum operation of the refrigeration and freezing counters in the Fakta stores throughout Denmark which run only on CO₂ refrigerants. 

This way, Danfoss has contributed to the chain being able to live up to Danish statutory requirements prescribing that the quantity of traditional HFC refrigerants used in each store’s refrigeration system must not exceed 10 kilograms. Danfoss has also had a hand in the 10% energy savings that the chain has obtained in the stores which only use CO₂ as refrigerant.


CO₂ efficient in cold climates

The 10 kilograms HFC limit was introduced because the refrigerant has a substantial impact on global warming. However, 10 kilograms are such a small amount that supermarkets have been forced to use alternative refrigerants in all new stores.

In Denmark, CO₂ is a natural solution because it works efficiently in cold climates and its effect on global warming is several thousand times lower than that of HFC.

However, CO₂ requires very high pressure. This means that components in CO₂ systems must be very robust. And this was the reason that the company Superkøl, which is the main contractor in the installation of the refrigeration systems in the Fakta stores, selected Danfoss as supplier.


Components interacting

“In terms of CO₂, perfect control of the high pressure is vital. Danfoss’ controllers and control electronics function as an electronic brain ensuring a precise process – and, not least, that all of the components interact the right way and consume only a minimal amount of power. At the same time, the temperature sensors and electronic valves have been designed for high pressure CO₂ systems,” says Tom Gøttsch, General Manager of Superkøl.

Danfoss has also supplied ADAP-KOOL® monitoring products to the project. They help provide monitoring of system temperature and energy consumption in the stores’ refrigeration and freezing counters. And ADAP-KOOL® immediately sends a message to a surveillance center in case of malfunction.

Superkøl is, however, not able to say exactly how big a portion of the total energy saved is due to the Danfoss components.

“The Danfoss components and the way that the system works play a major role in the savings. But, it is not possible to figure out exactly how big a proportion is saved due to the components, and how much is due to the refrigerant. The measurements only tell us that we have succeeded in designing a CO₂ refrigeration system which uses 10% less energy than the previous systems with the HFC refrigerants did,” says Tom Gøttsch.

  

The supermarket chain has 379 Fakta stores in Denmark. Danfoss has delivered components to all of them. Right now, 105 of the stores operate 100% on CO2 refrigerants.

So far, Danfoss has supplied components and control systems to around 2,000 CO2 refrigeration systems in European supermarkets.