Where cold is generated, heat is also generated. A simple principle that everyone who owns a refrigerator knows. In private households, the amount of heat generated is quite low. In large refrigeration systems, on the other hand, a considerable amount of heat is produced. This heat can be put to good use elsewhere. For example, to preheat cleaning water or to support the heating system. To do this, however, you first need to know where the heat is generated and at what temperatures. A "pinch analysis" can help here. As a systematic approach to improving energy consumption, it serves to determine data on heat output and temperatures and to derive options for optimization from the results. The Oensingen site already used this method to get to the bottom of its heat generation from May 2015 to July 2016, while the investigation in Zell ran until the end of 2016.
"In both production plants, we had already seen that there was room for improvement and potential savings based on various analyses. Thanks to the pinch analyses, we can now determine exactly where they lie and initiate appropriate measures," explains Roger Peier, Project Manager Sustainability, Energy & Environment at Bell. "However, it is not just the economic aspect that is important to us. Rather, we can also improve the operations' environmental protection and resource efficiency - in line with the Bell Food Group's sustainability strategy."
