Summary: Contributing to an end-to-end energy efficiency strategy
“Simply” is redefining the franchise business model in the retail environment, through a formula that creates opportunities for entrepreneurs to buy into four store sizes: Simply Market, Simply City, HiperSimply (developed by supermarket giant Group Auchan) and, most recently, Simply Basic.
Simply is not only creating new retail centres (currently 132 super- and hyper- markets and 15 gas stations in nine different regions across Spain), it is also pushing the boundaries of energy efficiency and environmental impact, thanks to an ethos founded on sustainable growth.Needless-to-say, retail businesses rely heavily upon effective refrigeration systems. In this sector, regulation is driving the adoption of more environmentally-friendly refrigerants – and Honeywell is responding by offering system designers, OEMs and end users a new generation of ultra-low GWP and more energy efficient refrigerants, based on new Hydro-Fluoro-Olefins (HFO) technology. In the case of Solstice® N40 (R-448A), it is a drop-in replacement for R-404A. Solstice® N40 has been incorporated into the latest Simply store near Zaragoza by system designers Ebrofrío, a company renowned for its forward-thinking and innovative approach.
Background: Placing innovation and sustainability at the heart of retail
Ebrofrío is a family-run company, employing 30 people, specialising in the design, installation and maintenance of commercial and industrial refrigeration systems. It is a business that thrives on innovation and which offers advice to engineers on the impact of regulatory change in the refrigeration sector. The company delivers customised installations and high performance maintenance contracts, offering system architecture that take advantage of the latest advances in materials technology, such as Solstice® N40.In the case of the new 3,500 m2 Simply store in Zaragoza, which opened in December 2014, Ebrofrío designed both the Low Temperature (LT) and Medium Temperature (MT) systems, with Solstice® N40 selected for the LT and R-134a used for the MT (Ebrofrio would likely use Honeywell’s recently commercialised low GWP replacement for R-134a – Solstice® N13 (R-450A) – for future MT applications).
The underlying environmental benefits of the refrigeration system proposed by Ebrofrío aligned perfectly to the value proposition of Simply, which is founded on an end-to-end approach to sustainable business and incorporates goals covering energy efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. Indeed, more than 20 Simply stores already have LED lights on the sales floor as well as refrigeration system heat recovery for winter heating. The stores also target a 20% reduction in water consumption.
Implementation: Contributing to a cleaner, lower carbon future
The Ebrofrío design took account of the entire system architecture – digital compressors, EC fans, doors, and, of course, refrigerant technology – in order to meet refrigeration performance standards while reducing both energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
System design :
• The Low Temperature (LT) “with doors” design enables the system to work comfortably at -30ºC evaporation temperature (or even higher).
This, together with the low discharge temperature of Solstice® N40 when compared to other R-404A alternatives, leads Ebrofrío to predict problem-free operation in summer conditions.
• The central pack consists of four compressors in the Solstice® N40 LT system.
• Eliwell controls nowadays incorporate R-448A. At the time of conversion, settings of R-404A were used, proving the suitability of R-404A for direct retrofitting.
During a regular site check four months after opening, the condensing temperature mid-point showed a 1-2°C difference vs the R-404A setting in the control, so very similar to R-404A.
• Charge: 135 kg of Solstice® N40 (R-448A).
• The problem-free retrofit of Solstice® N40 as part of the design architecture ensures ease of working for maintenance technicians.
Ebrofrío is currently recording key performance data on system-critical parameters through the Coresense diagnostics tool from Copeland, including tracking energy consumption, in line with their determination to offer optimal solutions to their customers.
Sector Perspective: Serving up Sustainable Refrigeration
Each year, the world uses more than 90 million tonnes of refrigerant, enough to keep food fresh in 240,000 supermarkets and to cool more than 300,000 commercial buildings.
Honeywell is committed to continuing to invest in the development and introduction of new products, to make it easier for commercial and industrial sectors to adopt and use alternatives to higher global warming potential refrigerants.
Solstice® N40 is technology proven to deliver outstanding results across key metrics linked to energy efficiency, temperature, cost of operation and overall Coefficient of Performance (COP).
Solstice® N40 is 100% non-ozone depleting, possesses low toxicity (ASHRAE class A) and is non-flammable at ambient temperature (ASHRAE class 1), which makes it significantly safer in use than alternatives such as hydrocarbons and ammonia.
Ebrofrío learned about Solstice® N40 last year during a Honeywell and Friogas (Climalife) presentation.
For any new similar installations, the company would also consider Solstice® N13 (R-450A) from the Solstice® range of HFO refrigerants for Medium Temperature (MT) applications.
« The store system was commissioned and is running problem-free. Ebrofrío is providing a very good and responsive service and so far there have been no issues at all with the refrigeration system, no downturn time.»
Jose Antonio Gracia Borobia, Simply Zaragoza Plaza Manager
« During recent machine room monitoring session, only one compressor was at 100% load, with -28°C evaporating temperature and a discharge temperature of 85°C. Performance in terms of capacity and efficiency is fulfilling both ours and our customer’s expectations from the preliminary calculations we have made and presented to Simply. »
Antonion Alós, Ebrofrío Technical Manager
« Our vision – ‘A different way to understand franchises’ – expresses a model that retains all our standards and values while offering entrepreneurs a profitable and sustainable business. Our targets of reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions were perfectly reflected in Ebrofrío’s proposal for the Simply Plaza store – through their spirit of innovation they developed a solution for the store’s refrigeration needs, while at the same time ensuring that both system GWP and energy usage are much lower »
Luis Canovai, Simply Technical Manager
« We first listened to our customer to understand their needs and constraints. Their position as the first promoter to run a franchise meant meeting the expectations of the store manager, company and retail chain. In our search to identify the best solution, we considered that Solstice® N40 (R-448A) was the best proposal. Results so far have proved it. »
Carlos Alós, Ebrofrío Commercial Manager