New eco-friendly drinks fridge
Commercial beverage refrigerators have up to now been built using energy-inefficient materials, and they've required oversized cooling systems. Now, the project 'Development of a highly efficient, innovative beverage cooler' (ICOOL) has advanced a new refrigerator system that enables energy savings of about 80 %, with minimal impact on design and manufacturability. Key to the efficiency of the new system is the use of phase-change materials (PCMs) that provide a thermal buffer. Such materials allow for the storage and release of large amounts of energy by melting or solidifying at certain temperatures. The technology, dubbed iCOOL, also makes use of a down-sized cooling system, and features improved lighting and insulation. Yet another advantage is that this new approach does not affect the time needed to cool down warm drinks. Regarding software, the consortium developed an intelligent control system to manage the PCM buffer so that extra cooling capacity can be provided as needed. The refrigerator systems are equipped with appropriate sensors to enable tight control. The cooler consumes just 1 kilowatt-hour per day. Per refrigerator, this translates into a carbon dioxide emission saving of over 600 kg per year, and a cost saving of over EUR 300 per year. Commercialisation of the new technology is next on the agenda, so the ICOOL small business partners are exploring private investments and other funding models.
