High temperature heat pumps cut energy cost at new energy center
Vikersund Bad & Rehabiliteringssenter AS is a state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre outside Oslo, Norway. It provides a wide range of rehabilitation services for different diagnoses and conditions, including cognitive rehabilitation, rehabilitation for rheumatic disease and in response to stroke and traumatic injury.
Installation of a new energy station
The centre has recently benefited from the installation of a new energy station, the centrepiece of which is a 3x100kW ground sourced, R290/R600a modular cascade heat pump, capable of delivering water at up to 70°C.
The energy station was sold and commissioned to Vikersund Bad & Rehabiliteringssenter AS, by Frigadon and Kelvin, both part of Arneg Group.
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Energy station with modular cascade heat pump, capable of delivering water at up to 70°C. The energy station was installed by Frigadon, Sweden-based design and manufacturer of refrigeration and heat pump units. Photo: Frigadon |
Transformation of technical ideas into efficient reality
The heat pump at Vikersund Bad & Rehabiliteringssenter is fully equipped with some of SWEP's most powerful two phase brazed plate heat exchanger products. SWEP's versatile 250AS platform serve as evaporators, cascades and condensers while B30 and B220 models solve suction gas superheating and subcooling with their unique low theta plate executions and relatively large ports. In all, 15 brazed plate heat exchangers were combined to transform the technical ideas into efficient reality.
Integral to Frigadon selecting SWEP's technology was the rehabilitation centre's specification for a high temperature heat pump based on natural refrigerants. This was partly chosen for environmental reasons but also for increased efficiency.
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3D model of the energy station, which has been operational since December 2021. Vikersund Bad & Rehabiliteringssenter expect to save more than NOK 1 million annually on electrical energy costs for heating barley and tap water. Credit: Frigadon |
Björn Skattberg, Sales Manager at Frigadon explains:
“Hydrocarbon based HTHP's are a very important factor for energy transformation of replacing burning natural gas and direct heating with electricity. Hydrocarbons are able to fully condense at high temperatures, so the condensing duty can be delivered at as high a temperature as the customer requires. This is particularly beneficial for district heating, industrial processes and complementing existing heating systems. And especially important if the process returns a relatively high temperature to the heat pump, where other natural refrigerants will have large difficulties achieving efficiencies near Hydrocarbons.”
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Frigadon chose to equip the energy center with some of SWEP's most powerful two phase brazed plate heat exchanger products from the versatile 250AS platformt to transform technical specifications into efficient and environmentally friendly reality. Photo: Frigadon |
Fully operational energy station
The energy station has now been fully operational for a year when the projected was completed in December 2021. Kjetil Grønvold, Operations Manager for Vikersund Bad Rehabiliteringssenter AS reflects on learnings and benefits:
"We are very pleased with the solution approach to the new energy station. The heat pump has worked excellently and without interruption. In 2022, we expect to save more than NOK 1 million on electrical energy costs for heating barley and tap water, so we can safely say that the heat pump has been a very good investment for us."