Danfoss hosted the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of one of the world’s most energy-efficient supermarkets. The Smart Store supermarket will be filled with the latest and most energy-efficient refrigeration and heating technology.
Instead of allowing the heat produced by cooling cabinets and freezers to go to waste, it will be captured and reused to provide heating for the supermarket and the local community through district energy. The cooling system in the new supermarket will also run on carbon dioxide - a natural refrigerant - which helps to reduce the overall climate impact.
Sustainable energy use
Kristian Strand, President, Refrigeration & A/C Controls, Danfoss Climate Solutions says: “This ground-breaking - a much awaited event – is more important than ever. The origins of this project go back a long time, but the new energy-efficient Smart Store supermarket that we are starting to build today has only grown in relevance.”
The goal of the project is to show how easy and profitable it is to decarbonize our economy"
“The goal of the project is to show how easy and profitable it is to decarbonize our economy and ensure reliable and sustainable energy use. Heating and cooling are the largest energy consumers in supermarkets. The solutions we are building here today represent the core of Danfoss solutions and will showcase how we can approach zero energy use in food retail together.”
Co-Developing new technologies
The state-of-the-art supermarket is situated right next to Danfoss’ headquarters and will lead the way for how supermarket chains around the world can build climate-friendly and sustainable stores with the technologies that already exist.
Additionally, this site will serve as an Application Development Center where Danfoss will work together with partners to co-develop new technologies and explore interfaces in the energy system surrounding energy storage.
Special sustainability requirements
“The supermarket will be the focal point for a new part of our campus, where all buildings will be energy-efficient and meet special sustainability requirements. Our aim is to boost the green transition with concrete evidence of how far we can go with energy efficiency.”
“We want to demonstrate to customers and partners how energy saving solutions work in real life. We want to show the greenest energy is the energy we don’t use or reuse. That’s why visits to supermarkets will be one of the major attractions when the IEA delegates arrive in Denmark in June for the 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency,” Jürgen Fischer, President, Danfoss Climate Solutions adds.
Independent supermarket association
BALS, Brugsen for Als and Sundeved, Denmark’s largest independent supermarket association, will rent the building from Danfoss and will install a COOP 365discount supermarket.
BALS, which works together with COOP, has a total of 13 stores in the area around Sønderborg
BALS, which works together with COOP, has a total of 13 stores in the area around Sønderborg in Denmark and since 2015 has consistently reduced the consumption of energy in its stores. So far, they have cut 44 percent of their total CO2 emissions. Therefore, it was a natural next step that BALS became a partner in the project.
Lars G. Andersen, Managing Director of BALS, says: “We already have a lot of experience, but the energy price spikes have put further pressure on the need for change. Our 13 supermarkets have been modernized, and we have nearly no cost for heating in the stores because the heat comes from our freon-free refrigeration systems, solar cells, and heat pumps.”
Current energy prices
“It is an advantage with the current energy prices, and it reduces our CO2 emissions. We are proud to be part of one of the most energy-efficient supermarkets in the world and test the solutions that can help buildings become climate neutral.”
Danfoss is establishing a showroom in a part of the supermarket building, where all installations are visible to visitors and customers. Danfoss' solutions for heating and cooling such as CO2 as a refrigerant, heat recovery, and the interaction between installations will thus be experienced while they are in operation.
District heating network
“Our new Smart Store shows what is possible with today's technology, such as our Alsense software. The integration of hardware and software tools into this store underscores the growing importance digitalization has for the green transition."
"BALS is the perfect partner because their employees, neighbors, and customers will contribute to this important experience,” says Tuuli Sarvilinna, Senior Vice President Electronic Controllers and Services, Danfoss.
The service part of the building will be handled by Ohmia Retail, a Norwegian partner responsible for the operation and monitoring of all installations. The supermarket will be connected to Nordals Fjernvarmeværk and will be able to supply surplus heat to the local district heating network.