Management of surplus renewable electricity production through thermal accumulation in refrigeration facilities

Industrial Leridana del Frío SL, Ilerfred, is a company specializing since 1986 in the design, construction, and maintenance of refrigeration and controlled atmosphere facilities. Leveraging the knowledge gained throughout its history in the cold storage sector, Ilerfred developed the Isycad software, which allows for the management and control of all installation parameters. One of the current challenges that Ilerfred is addressing is the need to reduce emissions to contribute to the planet's decarbonization. That's why they've developed the "Green" module. This module enables the transformation of surplus renewable energy into thermal energy by harnessing the self-control capability of the Isycad system, adjusting to the products stored in each chamber. Through the implementation of this module, users have the opportunity to reduce their consumption from the conventional electrical grid and optimize the production efficiency of the renewable energy system by consuming the entire solar production. As a result, there is a reduction in energy consumption costs, leading to a consequent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. The "Green" module of the software facilitates the creation of a fully sustainable system. It achieves this by accumulating thermal energy from surpluses, using the stored products as accumulators, and optimizing various components of the refrigeration installation for this purpose. This allows for the utilization of 100% of renewable energy generation for self-consumption. The incorporation of the "Green" module has shown highly rewarding results when combined with photovoltaic solar plants, proving to be a fundamental component in mitigating demand peaks, reducing grid consumption during periods of high energy demand, and shortening the payback periods of solar plants. Self-consumption installations targeted at businesses, without the ability to compensate for excess energy generated, can achieve significant performance improvements through the use of the "Green" module. This allows for the utilization of thermal energy stored from surpluses during nighttime hours or times of low solar production, which would otherwise be wasted without the "Green" module. This strategy, among other benefits, avoids the need to operate the machinery room for extended periods, resulting in savings of up to 70% in electricity costs and contributing to the transition towards more sustainable and energy-efficient practices.FiguresImage of an example graph generated by the "Green" module of the Isycad software. Total consumption, solar generation, grid injection, and grid consumption.