Refrigeration Technology for Supermarkets
The “Gas-Free” Market of the Future
In the food retail sector, the refrigeration system is the largest energy consumer—but also the greatest opportunity. Modern supermarkets and discount stores no longer use their refrigeration systems just to cool merchandise, but as smart energy hubs for the entire building. cold.world ENGINEERING designs integrated CO2 systems that keep your products fresh while also heating your store during the winter.
Today’s Standard: CO2 (R744) Hybrid Systems
When it comes to new construction and major renovations in the food retail sector, there’s simply no way around carbon dioxide. We design transcritical CO2 booster systems that combine standard refrigeration (dairy, meat, vegetables) and deep-freeze refrigeration in a single cycle.
- Future-proof: R744 is not subject to any bans under the F-Gas Regulation. You make a one-time investment and don’t have to worry about stricter regulations.
- Highly efficient (even in summer): Thanks to modern ejector technology and parallel compression, our systems operate extremely efficiently even at high outdoor temperatures.
- Compact: We design space-saving solutions, often as indoor units or compact rooftop units, to preserve valuable retail space.
Heating with the Refrigerated Counter: Integrated Concepts
The goal is a fossil-fuel-free supermarket. A modern supermarket no longer needs a natural gas connection or district heating.
Complete heat recovery: The waste heat from refrigerated display cases and freezers is not released into the environment but is used 100% to heat the building.
Heat Pump Function: On very cold days, when the waste heat from the refrigeration units is insufficient, the CO2 system switches to efficient heat pump mode.
Air conditioning included: In the summer, the same system can be used to cool the sales area via the ventilation system or ceiling cassettes (AC function).
Retrofits in Existing Buildings: Say Goodbye to R404A
Many existing systems still use the climate-damaging refrigerant R404A. Maintenance costs are rising, and the refrigerant is becoming scarce. We’ll plan your transition (retrofit or replacement) without affecting your sales:
- Renovation without interrupting operations: We coordinate the work so that your customers will hardly notice anything. Use of temporary cooling during the renovation phase.
- Plug-in furniture: To complement existing setups or for flexible layouts, we design areas with plug-in R290 (propane) furniture, which reduces the load on the central system.
Noise Control & Neighborhood Relations
Supermarkets are often located in residential areas. A noisy air-conditioning unit on the roof causes problems with neighbors.
- Whisper-quiet technology: We design condensers and gas coolers with extremely low noise levels and special enclosures.
- Nighttime Speed Reduction: Smart controls reduce fan speeds to an inaudible minimum at night.
Frequently Asked Questions (Supermarket)
Is CO2 worth it even for small markets? Yes. In the past, CO2 was considered a technology suitable only for large hypermarkets. Today, there are very compact “mini-boosters” (condensing units) for small organic grocery stores, gas station convenience stores, or butcher shops that are just as technically efficient as the large systems.
What happens during a power outage? Product safety is our top priority. We integrate the refrigeration system and its controls into your emergency power plan and use state-of-the-art cold storage controllers that automatically and safely restart after a power outage (network monitoring included).
Schedule an Initial Consultation
Schedule a free initial consultation now.