On hot summer days, we often seek refuge within the cooling walls of shopping malls to escape the burning sun, spending hours shopping or enjoying various entertainments. Cooling large buildings like shopping malls, office complexes, or warehouses, and managing the associated energy consumption, poses a significant global challenge. Shopping malls that span thousands of square meters strive to meet the needs of thousands of visitors daily. Their cooling needs are continuous, as it is often necessary to cool these spaces not only during summer but also during winter. Many factors can greatly influence indoor temperatures, such as the number of people or the extent of glass surfaces. Our goal is to provide the same level of comfort with less energy, ensuring that the customer experience remains unaffected.
Meeting the cooling demands presents a serious challenge for the management, as achieving the desired indoor temperature requires enormous energy consumption and significant costs.
HeatVentors provided a solution to this problem in a shopping mall in Portugal.
We integrated our Intelligent Thermal Battery into a liquid-based cooling system where the cooling demand is 3,500 kW and the annual cooling consumption is approximately 1,250,000 kWh. With the installation of the battery, the building can save an average of 98,000 kWh of energy annually, reducing yearly expenses by approximately 30,000 Euros.
To achieve this result, it was necessary to install three thermal batteries, each with a cooling capacity of 200 kW and a storage capacity of 60 kWh. After testing, we achieved an average annual energy saving of 15-18%. With further capacity expansion, this number could exceed 25%, potentially resulting in annual savings of up to 95,000 Euros, depending on energy prices.
How was this achieved?
On a summer day, in the morning at 25°C, chillers consume less electrical energy to produce the same amount of cooling energy compared to during the day at 35-40°C.
By connecting the HeatTank to the cooling circuit, the system can store the cooling energy produced in the morning and use it to meet peak cooling demands during the day. Improving the operational efficiency of the system reduces electricity consumption, resulting in significant savings. Thanks to the intelligent system, the storage operation is managed automatically via algorithms, without human intervention. Unlike other systems, the payback period can be as short as 3 years.
For the shopping mall in Portugal, not only were the costs significantly reduced, but its carbon footprint also decreases year by year. Additionally, the question of expanding the system has already been raised.
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