Refrigeration Engineers Presentation – Efficient, Flexible, Sustainable Refrigeration with Thermal Energy Storage

June 23, 2021 Blog Articles, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, Food Processing, Supermarket, Webinars & Podcasts

Refrigeration engineers often receive a lot of valuable training and education through their professional organizations. Viking Cold’s Global Director Brad North, P.E., CEM presents some of the key benefits of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) using Phase Change Material (PCM) in refrigeration applications to a national HVAC and refrigeration engineering association. In this 21-minute video presentation to engineers in the HVACR industry, refrigeration benefits such as reducing energy use, improving sustainability, minimizing temperature stratification, extending temperature resiliency, and improving interconnectivity with power from the electrical grid are covered.

Brad begins his presentation with relevant cold chain statistics about facilities where refrigeration optimization with intelligent Thermal Energy Storage is being achieved by leveraging PCM. He also explains some of the unique thermodynamic properties of PCM that allow TES systems to achieve positive refrigeration energy and temperature management results. He then covers how the PCM is configured and easily installed into various cold storage refrigerated facilities without additional space requirements or the loss of valuable storage area.

Also covered in the presentation is a brief evolutionary history of the refrigeration practice known as flywheeling – subcooling the food and surrounding room to then minimize refrigeration during periods with high energy costs. Brad discusses factors that influenced the start of flywheeling, are transforming flywheeling practices with new technologies, as well as how PCM safely extends the length of flywheeling periods while reducing the risk to food quality and shelf life. He also shares how PCM is able to slow temperature increases in a room without active refrigeration and shows case study data illustrating a reduced rate-of-rise and improved temperature stability.

Inside cold storage facilities temperature stratification throughout the room generally occurs. Brad shows some examples of how properly installed PCM combined with intelligence reduces the extent of temperature stratification and creates a more uniform temperature across the vertical space of these refrigerated rooms.  With the introduction of PCM a new “stratification floor” is created that consolidates more of the heat near the ceiling in the airflow of the evaporators for improved temperatures around the food and for easy removal of the heat by the refrigeration system.

Thermal Energy Storage is often considered a way to simply shift when energy is consumed by refrigeration systems. Brad explains many of the factors that allow Viking Cold’s TES technology to not only shift the timing of refrigeration but also to safely reduce the total kWh energy consumption (energy efficiency) of the refrigeration systems. Hear about the factors that enable this such as reducing the horsepower per ton ratio, the ability to run refrigeration systems at maximum designed efficiency or “fully loaded”, the consolidation of up to 85% of the heat infiltration near the top of the room, the PCM’s higher heat capacity and heat transfer rates, and the fact that TES systems do not have mechanical components that cannibalize the energy savings with parasitic losses.

Also discussed in this refrigeration engineer’s presentation are additional attributes of TES that provide energy flexibility and the ability to safely and easily participate in multiple utility and grid operator programs. Many of these programs reduce costs, some provide financial incentives for technology upgrades, and some programs can generate revenue streams for operators of refrigerated facilities. The added refrigeration flexibility from TES enables participation in programs such as demand response, permanent load shed, targeted load shed, peak shaving, responding to market index pricing signals, renewables plus storage, and capacity programs.

Temperature resiliency inside the refrigerated cold chain is paramount to maintaining food quality and shelf life while minimizing food loss. Brad also explains how PCM adds resiliency to cold storage rooms. Common scenarios that disrupt cold storage operations and create a need for temperature resiliency are becoming more common and include mechanical breakdown of refrigeration system components and loss of power from ice storms, hurricanes, wildfires, utility-initiated de-energization, and more. Refrigerated facilities that have TES installed have up to three times longer temperature protection during any of these situations that may cause the loss of refrigeration.

Whether you are a facilities or business leader, refrigeration engineer, cold storage operator, or somewhere in the temperature-controlled cold chain, there is something in this short professional association presentation for you. Quickly learn about mitigating risk, cutting costs, improving sustainability, stabilizing temperatures, and more.

Click above to watch this short 21-minute refrigeration engineer professional association presentation. Or contact us today to learn how our refrigeration optimization and thermal energy storage solutions will save you energy and money.

 

 

Viking Cold Earns 5th Top Green Provider Award from Food Logistics

June 22, 2021 Awards, Blog Articles, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, Food Processing, Press Releases

Viking Cold Solutions Named Top Green Provider by Food Logistics
for Fifth Consecutive Year

The award recognizes companies whose products, services or exemplary leadership are enhancing sustainability within the cold food and beverage industry

HOUSTON, June 22, 2021 – Viking Cold Solutions, the leading thermal energy storage and refrigeration optimization service provider for low-temperature cold storage industries, announces it has been included in the 2021 Top Green Providers list from Food Logistics for the fifth consecutive year, underscoring the company’s sustainability contributions to the global cold chain.

The editorial staff evaluates a company’s participation in such programs as the EPA’s SmartWay and other recognized sustainability programs; facilities that are LEED-certified and/or feature solar panels, LED lighting and other energy-saving installations and retrofits; and other means of producing measurable reductions in GHG emissions.

“When the pandemic hit, I thought for sure that sustainability would be pushed to the wayside. But, in fact, the complete opposite happened. And, I couldn’t be more appreciative of the supply chain industry’s efforts in making sustainability top of mind in every aspect of their organization despite the many supply chain disruptions they continue to face,” said Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “Sustainability is the key to success, and the recipients of this year’s award prove that when sustainability matters to them, they will continue to do great things and make a difference in the industry.”

Viking Cold Solutions Director of Marketing Damon Vance shared: “We are honored to once again be recognized by Food Logistics as a Top Green Provider. Our goal is not only to deliver cost-effective optimization solutions to refrigerated facilities but to also offer sustainable technology that helps preserve our planet for future generations.”

Recipients of this year’s award will be profiled in the June 2021 print issue. Go to www.FoodLogistics.com to view the full list of all 2021 Top Green Providers.

About Viking Cold Solutions
Viking Cold Solutions is the leading long-duration thermal energy storage and refrigeration optimization service provider to the energy-intensive frozen/low-temperature cold storage industry. Viking Cold delivers cost-effective and flexible energy management services which protect food and help reduce the environmental impact of refrigeration. Its patented Thermal Energy Storage system with phase change material (PCM) and intelligent controls reduce cold storage energy costs up to 35 percent or more, while improving temperature stability and optimizing refrigeration operations. Viking Cold Solutions’ TES systems have been measured, verified, and incentivized by energy utilities across the U.S. and are currently in use around the world providing efficiency to grocery stores, low-temperature warehouses, and restaurants.

For additional information, please visit www.vikingcold.com.

About Food Logistics
Food Logistics is the only publication exclusively dedicated to covering the movement of product through the global cold food supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, risk management, food safety and more. Go to www.FoodLogistics.com.

Press Contact:
Damon Vance
Marketing Director
dvance@vikingcold.com
+1.832.899.4771

POWER: Distributed Generation Part of Puerto Rico Rebuild

March 2, 2021 All News, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, Energy Storage, Food Processing, News Articles, Solar + Storage, Utility & Grid

POWER Magazine’s Associate Editor Darrell Proctor recently published an article focused on the rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid after a number of devastating hurricanes including Hurricane Maria in 2017. “The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority has embarked on a $20 billion plan to rebuild the island’s power grid. The initiative includes a commitment to generate 40% of the island’s power from renewable resources by 2025, and 100% by 2050. C&I enterprises using distributed power generation are a large part of the effort.”

The article highlights Viking Cold as one of the leading sustainable Distributed Energy Resources (DER) delivering cost-effective, reliable, and resilient power to the island’s industrial and commercial businesses.

Isla Frio, a cold storage company on the island, is building a new 147,000 square foot facility with Viking Cold’s Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology to add hurricane-resistant food storage capacity to the island. The second phase of the project will include the addition of onsite solar power generation. The combination of renewables with the existing TES installed during construction will maximize the cost-effectiveness of their solar-plus-storage investment and help Puerto Rico meet its aggressive goals to add resilient renewable generation to the grid.

New Cold Storage Construction with TES in Puerto Rico

September 2, 2020 Blog Articles, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, Energy Storage

Cold storage firm, Isla Frio Refrigeration Corp., recently acquired a former PepsiCo bottling and distribution plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico. The 147,000 square-foot building on eight acres is being fully renovated to become a state-of-the-art frozen and refrigerated food warehouse, beginning with 50,000 square feet of frozen storage. The end goal of the $10 million project is to supply hurricane-resistant cold and dry storage space for the island while also providing thermal resilience with our Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology for temperature-controlled goods in the event of a power outage.

Over the years, Puerto Rico has been hit exceptionally hard by natural disasters and other crises, and with an unreliable power grid, these events inflict significant impacts on supply chain efficiency and functionality. During Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the lengthy power loss that followed, our clients’ facilities on the island did not lose any food product, thanks to the TES systems they have installed.

The recent coronavirus pandemic has also amplified the growing need for more cold storage capacity and the island-wide shortage of warehouse space.

The recent acquisition of the PepsiCo plant provides an opportunity to build a highly efficient, energy-secure cold storage facility to support the recovering supply chain and electrical grid on the island.

The energy resources of this construction project are in alignment with the guiding principles of Puerto Rico’s overall grid modernization plan. Led by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the $20 billion plan will reconstruct the island’s grid, ultimately dividing it into eight self-sufficient mini-grids and providing residents with a safer, greener, and more resilient energy supply. In addition, the island has committed to generating 40% of its power from renewables by 2025 and 100% by 2050. These ambitious clean energy goals will drive the widespread adoption of renewable energy generation, which is complemented through the use of sustainable energy storage technologies like our TES systems.

“Puerto Rico has always been very important to Viking Cold Solutions. Our first warehouse installation was on this beautiful island, and it’s appropriate that our first new cold storage construction project be right here in Cidre, PR,” said Paul Robbins, Founder of Viking Cold Solutions.

The Isla Frio project, which began construction in June 2020, will be Viking Cold’s first system installation to be part of a facility’s original design and construction plan; previous installations have been facility retrofit projects. Phase One will be to install our technology and get the cold storage facility up and running by December. Phase Two will build out the rest of the site and may eventually include an onsite solar power resource to assist in powering the facility.

Once the plant is operational with TES technology, carbon emissions and energy use will be minimized, enhanced energy resilience and flexibility will be in place, and the facility will benefit from lower electricity costs – a significant value on an island with among the highest electricity costs in the U.S. The building itself is connected to a large diesel generator to provide backup power and is built at a high elevation, better protecting it from floods. During extended grid interruptions or power outages, the generator and its fuel can be conserved because the TES technology provides built-in temperature resilience to protect food up to several days without power.

We are proud to again be working with another Puerto Rico-based company, this time to help them build their cold storage resources in a sustainable way right from the start. By implementing our energy storage technology, Puerto Rico is one step closer to meeting its goal of generating 100% of its power from renewables by 2050.

Thunder Said Phase Change Materials Review

August 15, 2020 Blog Articles, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, Energy Storage, News Articles, Solar + Storage, Utility & Grid

Thunder Said Energy, the research consultancy for energy technologies, has released a review of the benefits of thermal energy storage for refrigeration, renewable energy sources, and energy storage at large.

Phase Change Materials (PCM), such as those used by Viking Cold Solutions, are described by the report as a “game-changer” for energy storage technology, particularly with reference to their use alongside renewable energy. The report explains the economics of cold storage, the functioning of Phase Change Materials, and covers a review of 5,800 patents in the space.

Thunder Said’s Phase Change Materials review made the key observation that PCM technologies can:

  • Earn double-digit Internal Rate of Return
  • Unlock 20% efficiency gains in freezers and refrigerators
  • Provide superior efficiency over battery storage

Noting that refrigerators and freezers comprise 9% of the US electric grid, including consumption across 4,200 warehouses, 40,000 supermarkets, and 620,000 restaurants, Thunder Said is bullish on the potentials of Phase Change Materials.

The PCM report, which can be purchased from the authors here, highlights the achievements of Viking Cold Solutions’ thermal energy management technologies, the industry-leading performance that will be of particular interest to the readers. While Thunder Said expects 20% improvements in efficiency gains and commensurate cost savings, Viking Cold’s own installations have delivered efficiency improvements and cost savings of between 25% and 50%, out-performing the analysts’ expectations.

Viking Cold Solutions has developed its own PCMs and proprietary software from its headquarters in Houston, Texas, and now has the technology installed and running in locations from California to Puerto Rico and Mexico to Australia, with years of reliable operation and documented case studies to confirm the technology’s effectiveness in reducing cost, energy consumption, and carbon emissions.

For specific case studies and overviews of Viking Cold Solutions’ technology’s performance, see our Resources. And to find out how we can improve your energy efficiency and reduce your energy costs, contact us here.

FoodDive.com – New tools transform frozen food energy costs into revenue streams

October 23, 2019 Blog Articles, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, Energy Storage, Food Processing, News Articles, Supermarket

Energy is one of the most expensive ingredients in frozen foods. What changes in the electricity market are changing to favor the industry and why? What technologies can enable new energy strategies to take advantage of these changes to avoid costs and actually generate revenue streams? Find out these answers and more in FoodDive’s article that discusses why utilities are incentivizing energy efficiency and energy storage technologies for the frozen food industry.

GCCA Cold Facts – A Savvy Proposal for Energy Efficiency

July 29, 2019 All News, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, News Articles

Cold Facts Magazine Energy Storage ArticleCold Facts, the official publication of the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), published an article covering new technologies in cold storage construction that add efficiency to cold storage building projects. The article describes a presentation at the 38th Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA) Conference delivered by Viking Cold Solutions, Cold Box Builders, and Evapco. Representatives from all three companies discuss new efficiency technologies and trends for the cold storage industry, particularly in ammonia refrigerated facilities.

GCCA Cold Facts – Thermal Energy Storage Reaps Financial Benefits

January 7, 2019 All News, Case Studies, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, News Articles

GCCA Cold Facts - Thermal Energy StorageCold Facts, the official publication of the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), has published an article highlighting one of our case studies and the resulting benefits of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) in commercial frozen food warehouses.  Findings include 35% added efficiency and the flexibility to shed refrigeration load for 13 hours each day while improving temperature stability inside the freezer. You can view the full Cold Facts article with charts and graphs HERE and read the full case study HERE.

C&I Case Study: 43% Reduced Consumption for 13 Hours on UtilityDive.com

December 13, 2018 All News, Case Studies, Cold Storage Construction, Energy Storage, News Articles, Utility & Grid

Case Study: 43% Reduced ConsumptionThe commercial and industrial application of our thermal energy storage (TES) technology has shown tremendous results in an ammonia-refrigerated frozen food warehouse in California. By storing energy in the form of cold and delivering discharge times up to 13 hours per day TES provides utilities a behind-the-meter distributed energy resource (DER) to help manage the inflexible and difficult demand profile of the cold storage industry. Utility Dive has posted an article outlining the temperature, peak demand, and consumption benefits of TES in cold storage facilities outlined in our case study.

5 Ways to Reduce Energy Costs in Refrigerated Warehouses on SupplyChainDive.com

October 26, 2018 All News, Cold Storage, Cold Storage Construction, Food Processing, News Articles, Supermarket

5 Ways to Reduce Energy CostsThe fastest ways to lower energy costs are adding efficiencies to the facility and adding flexibility to how and when to purchase the power that drives refrigeration equipment. This is similar to achieving better fuel efficiency for automobiles on highways versus city streets and throwing in some downhills to further reduce fuel costs. Read more about five specific strategies that lower refrigeration energy costs in frozen food warehouses on Supply Chain Dive.

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