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R22 plant retrofit for refrigerated storage using a photovoltaic-driven R290 chiller - A case study.

Number: 0162

Author(s) : KOHLENBACH P., JAKOB U.

Summary

This paper describes the economic improvement of a retrofit cold storage R290 (propane) plant powered by a photovoltaic (PV) array. An existing HCFC-22 refrigeration plant for two refrigerated storage buildings with a total volume of 11,520 m3 in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, is to be retrofitted using R290 chillers with a combined thermal cooling capacity of 220 kWr. The new R290 chillers are to be powered by a photovoltaic array with a peak electrical power of 166 kWp. Excess solar energy is either directly converted to cold and stored in the building thermal mass or fed into the electrical grid, there is no electrical storage included in the system. The authors describe the system configuration, installation, operational and transient simulation results as well as investment cost and other economic parameters such as levelized cost of energy (LCE), internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV) and debt service coverage ratio (DSCR). A  before/after comparison is made between the old HCFC-22 system without PV contribution and the new R290 system with PV contribution for different load data. A focus of the work presented here is the investigation of economic viability of the additional PV plant with 100% debt financing. It was found that the investment into a PV array is economically viable, even if 100% debt financed, and independent of the applied electrical load data. The additional cost for the PV array (investment, interest, repayment, surcharge and OPEX) over 20 years is lower than the electricity cost from mains grid saved by the PV power generation. The 100% debt financing of the PV investment cost poses no significant financial risk for the owner of the premises, as DSCR is greater than 2 and therefore is sufficient income to pay current debt obligations.

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Pages: 12 p.

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Details

  • Original title: R22 plant retrofit for refrigerated storage using a photovoltaic-driven R290 chiller - A case study.
  • Record ID : 30029754
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: HFCs alternatives
  • Source: 15th IIR-Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants (GL2022). Proceedings. Trondheim, Norway, June 13-15th 2022.
  • Publication date: 2022/06/13
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18462/iir.gl2022.0162
  • Document available for consultation in the library of the IIR headquarters only.

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