Cold storage – a challenge in summer

Some goods require constant cool storage in order to guarantee security of supply. These include not only perishable foods, but also sensitive medicines. In addition to constantly cool storage and goods handling, there are also cold stores that freeze and chill the goods to be stored, which is why temperatures of up to -48 °C must be generated. The rise in temperature in summer is therefore always a challenge for logistics companies that have refrigerated warehouses, as a particularly large amount of energy is required during 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 annual consumption of a refrigerated warehouse averages between 58 and 65 ^kWh/m3, depending on the size of the system and the temperature to be reached. More than 70 % of the energy required is used for cooling. Compared to other commercially used buildings, the energy consumption of refrigerated warehouses is therefore many times higher.

Against the backdrop of climate change and efforts to counteract it, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy generation methods are becoming increasingly important. Photovoltaic systems offer an excellent opportunity to generate energy in a climate-friendly way. They can be installed on the roofs of commercially used buildings to save space and generate part of the energy required.

Modern photovoltaic systems can cover between 20 % and 35 % of the energy requirements of refrigerated warehouses. The investment and operating costs are generally lower than those for grid supply. The increased energy consumption in the hot season can be largely compensated for by the stronger and longer periods of solar radiation in summer. In western Germany in particular, solar radiation is comparatively high throughout the year. In Saarland, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, it is therefore particularly worthwhile generating electricity using photovoltaic systems. However, by using modern and efficient solar modules, a good amount of energy can also be generated in areas with less sunshine, such as in northern Germany, even when there is less sunlight.

The use of photovoltaic systems therefore offers an excellent opportunity to take a further step towards climate friendliness and to make logistics properties sustainable. At BUILDINX you will find the right contacts 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 realize concrete ideas with the help of leading experts.

Author: Verena Zieringer