Epta CO2 systems test shows 20 per cent carbon emissions cut
Manufacturer Epta has concluded a three-year EU-funded project aimed at creating a new generation of CO2 refrigeration systems.
The LIFE-C4R project undertook a series of seven trials of the firm’s FTE (Full Transcritical Efficiency) and ETE (Extreme Temperature Efficiency) systems in Italy, Spain and Romania. These trials were designed to prove if it is possible to install a system that would allow optimised performance and efficiency for any climate and provide ‘significant energy savings throughout the world and throughout the year.’
The FTE uses a proprietary technical and circuit solution, which it says is also extremely simple to use and maintain.
Mechanically the FTE 2.0 system works with the same type of components as a standard CO2 system. Its efficiency derives from a better use of evaporators for medium temperature users in “flooded” mode.
ETE is a CO2 subcooling system designed to integrate FTE in high or extreme temperature conditions, to offer optimal performance and consumption even in hot climates and those with temperatures well above 40 deg C.
According to EP technologies, three years’ worth of data have demonstrated an annual decrease in energy consumption of between 15 per cent and 23 per cent, compared to traditional CO2 systems.
In addition, the lifecycle analysis has shown the systems can reduce overall CO2 emissions by up to 20 per cent, the firm said.
Francesco Mastrapasqua, Epta’s Institutional Affairs Manager, said, “The value of the Life-C4R project for the future is very high. Not only have we eliminated the technological constraints of CO2, but thanks to the numerous outreach activities we have contributed to a cultural change, demonstrating how this refrigerant can be used everywhere in the world and how we can, today more than ever, accelerate towards climate neutrality in our activities.”