Some goods require constant cool storage in order to be able to guarantee security of supply. This includes not only perishable foods, but also sensitive medicines. In addition to consistently cool storage and goods handling, there are also cold stores that freeze and freeze the goods to be stored, which is why temperatures of down to -48 °C have to be generated. The rise in temperature in summer therefore always poses a challenge for logistics companies that have refrigerated warehouses, as a particularly large amount of energy is required at this time. But which energy generation methods can be used to compensate for this increased energy requirement in the most climate-friendly way possible?

According to studies by the West Coast State University of Applied Sciences, the average annual consumption of a cold store is between 58 and 65 kWh/m3, depending on the size of the system and the temperature to be reached. More than 70% of the required energy is used for cooling. Compared to other commercially used buildings, the energy consumption of cold stores is many times higher.

Against the background of climate change and efforts to counteract it, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy production methods are becoming increasingly important. Photovoltaic systems offer an excellent opportunity to generate energy in a climate-friendly manner. They can be placed on the roofs of commercially used buildings to save space, in order to generate part of the energy requirement yourself.

Modern photovoltaic systems can cover between 20% and 35% of the energy requirements of the cold store. The investment and operating costs are usually cheaper than buying from the grid. The increased energy consumption in the hot season can be largely compensated for by the stronger and longer solar radiation in summer. Especially in western Germany, the sun's radiation is comparatively high throughout the year. In Saarland, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, generating electricity using photovoltaic systems is particularly worthwhile. Through the use of modern and efficient solar modules, however, a good amount of energy can also be generated in areas with less sun, such as in northern Germany, even with less solar radiation.

The use of photovoltaic systems therefore offers an excellent opportunity to take another step towards climate friendliness and to make logistics properties sustainable. At BUILDINX you will find the right contact person for this. As the first business platform covering the entire value chain of innovative logistics and industrial real estate, BUILDINX offers you the opportunity to discover innovations in the field of environmentally friendly energy generation and to implement concrete ideas with the help of leading experts.

Author: Verena Zieringer