Assessment Methodology for Efficiency, CO₂-Emissions and Primary Energy Consumption for Refrigeration Technologies in the Industry

Abstract

Process cooling and air conditioning are becoming increasingly important in the industry. Refrigeration is still mostly accomplished with compression chillers, although alternative technologies are available on the market that can be more efficient for specific applications. Within the scope of the project "EffiCool" a technology toolbox is currently being developed, which is intended to assist industrials users in selecting energy efficient and eco-friendly cooling solutions. In order to assess different refrigeration options a consistent methodology was developed. The refrigeration technologies are assessed regarding their efficiency, CO 2 -emissions and primary energy consumption. For CCHP systems an exergetic allocation method was implemented. Two scenarios with A) a compression chiller and B) an absorption chiller coupled to a natural gas CHP system were calculated exemplarily, showing a greater overall efficiency for the CCHP system, although the individual COP of the chiller is considerably lower.