Refrigeration systems are among the major consumers of electrical energy in bakeries. Which ICECOOL innovation improves the energy efficiency of these systems?
The CO₂ booster technology with integrated heat recovery has been optimized for use in bakeries, where differing temperature levels are required. An interesting additional application is the potential use of such a CO₂ booster system as a heat pump during winter operation to generate heating energy. This area holds great potential for innovation, which we are actively exploring.
How can small changes lead to significant energy savings in bakeries?
Depending on the type of system, the integrated heating capacity can account for up to 50% of the total electrical connected load. For this reason, more and more ICECOOL refrigeration systems are being equipped with glycol heating coils instead of electric heaters. These coils can be powered by waste heat from the refrigeration systems—or even from ovens—allowing this otherwise ‘wasted’ energy to be put to effective use. This significantly reduces the connected electrical load of the refrigeration system. Additionally, properly sealing door openings—with air curtains or extra cold room swing doors—is another highly effective way to reduce energy-intensive defrosting processes.
Cooling is essentially the removal of heat. To keep the cold inside the system for as long as possible, proper insulation is essential. How effective is the insulation of ICECOOL systems (W/(m²·K))?
ICECOOL refrigeration systems are characterized by insulation materials with very low thermal conductivity values of 0.13 W/m²·K or 0.19 W/m²·K.
In addition, ICECOOL offers special solutions for access doors, as measurable energy losses can occur here during daily operations. Both door air curtain systems and additional cold room swing doors provide excellent performance in minimizing these losses.
Does it make sense to connect refrigeration systems - being one of the main electricity consumers in a bakery - to a dedicated energy storage system powered by self-generated (e.g. photovoltaic) or low-cost electricity from dynamic tariffs?
This depends on the individual circumstances and preferences of each bakery.
However, what we can offer all our customers is our heat recovery program, which makes efficient use of the waste heat generated by refrigeration systems. High-performance heat exchangers are used to heat potable water, process water, or glycol for various applications. This recovered energy can be used to operate underfloor or surface heating systems, or to preheat wash water.
Waste heat can also be used efficiently for proofing or defrosting processes, eliminating the need for electric heaters. As a result, ICECOOL systems require significantly less electrical power and consume only a fraction of the energy.
By integrating heat recovery, you increase the energy efficiency of your bakery and make a valuable contribution to sustainability. Put this available heat to good use as an additional resource—and benefit from a more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient operation.
What is ICECOOL already doing today to reduce its carbon footprint?
Unlike the interruption baking methods commonly described in textbooks, the new ICECOOL FRESHBAKING process operates exclusively within the positive temperature range. The interruption baking methods often involve shock freezing and deep-freezing storage at subzero temperatures. As a result, the energy consumption – and thus the CO₂ footprint – of the ICECOOL FRESHBAKING process is significantly lower.
The water contained in the dough does not have to pass through the freezing point; instead, the free water remains in its liquid state.
