Carrier Adds Heat Recovery and Free Cooling Options Extending R-32 Scroll Chiller Energy Savings

Carrier has introduced high-performance heat recovery and free cooling options to its AquaSnap 30RBP air-cooled scroll chiller range on lower global warming potential (GWP) R-32 refrigerant, providing even greater energy savings and further reducing operating costs for end users. 

Carrier was the first European manufacturer to introduce a fully optimised scroll chiller range on R-32. AquaSnap units also have an outstanding seasonal energy performance ratio (SEER) for cooling of up to 6.62, reducing indirect greenhouse gas emissions resulting from energy use. The latest heat recovery and free cooling options extend energy savings, further reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of the equipment.

The heat recovery system enables chillers to produce domestic hot water up to 80deg C, while continuing to provide cooling, useful for applications such as hotels, hospitals and industrial processes requiring hot water. The free cooling option makes use of favourable ambient and load conditions, harnessing free cooling from the environment to augment or replace mechanical cooling via the chiller's compressors, reducing energy consumption and running costs.

Two versions of free cooling are available. Partial free cooling is designed for applications with a variable primary cooling load, such as offices and healthcare, which may also have a constant residual cooling need. Examples include computer suites or scanner facilities. The total free cooling option is designed for applications with a constant cooling need throughout the year, such as industrial processes and data centres.

Carrier's hydronic-based free-cooling system automatically activates when the outdoor air temperature drops 1 degree C below the chiller's return water temperature, harnessing the full free cooling opportunity and maximising energy savings. For example in Berlin, the hydronic free cooling potential is 50 to 95% of annual chiller run-time, depending on the application. In more northern locations, the potential free cooling opportunity is even greater. 

If free cooling is not sufficient to meet requirements, a mixed mode – using both free cooling and mechanical cooling – is automatically activated, ensuring the cooling needs of mission critical applications are always met.