GreenQ Partners, an engineering-consulting firm based in Toronto, has been awarded a prestigious Clean50 Top Project award for Industrial Refrigeration Optimization project completed in 2019.
Refrigeration plants are typically among the biggest electricity consumers in the food manufacturing process, as they are set up without consideration for minimizing electricity consumption. Through a complex audit, the project identified, implemented and validated the most energy efficient operational procedures and setting for particular production and storage requirements.
Project results – 374MWh (or 34%) in energy savings with a payback in under 2 years – were determined through direct measurement and in compliance with IPMVP protocol; results were accepted by IESO.
Along with delivered energy cost reduction, the project has extended the expected life of compressors – the most expensive part of the refrigeration plant – by reducing their load and run time. Several unnoticed system deficiencies have been uncovered by GreenQ and fixed by client’s maintenance team.
According to Sergei Khoudiachov, an experienced and innovative engineer behind implemented measures, the situation at this plant was typical and 20-40% energy savings can be achieved at most multi-compressor ammonia refrigeration plant that support production process or big frozen food warehouse.
Canada’s Clean50 Top Project Awards are amongst the awards announced annually by Delta Management Group and the Canada’s Clean50 organization, to recognize the 20 best sustainability-oriented projects completed in Canada over the prior two years.
Projects are chosen based on the four “I”s criteria:
- Impactful,
- Innovative,
- Inspiring
- and can readily be Imitated.
Delta’s criteria in determining Project awards is to carefully consider a combination of actual measurable impact, demonstrated innovation, and the project’s ability to inspire others to imitate it – and, according to Delta’s experts –
“Refrigeration Optimization completed by GreenQ Partners is a terrific example.”
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[…] the positive side, in our recent award-winning project monitoring of energy consumption at a refrigeration plant uncovered massive saving opportunities […]