Food Innovations Group are a market leading multi-site UK based manufacturer of home baking products. Over many years, the Group has earned a well-deserved reputation for innovation and technical excellence while consistently striving to be an exemplar of best practice in all of the areas in which they work.
A cooling solution was required for The Group’s new state-of-the art facility at Heanor in Derbyshire. The new building had a severe overheating problem in the main production area which was causing uncomfortable conditions for staff. They also needed a system which complied with the food standards regulations associated with air filtration.
The Group was looking for an energy efficient and green alternative to conventional refrigeration, which aligned with their corporate values. They aim to produce goods in the most sustainable and efficient way and look to implement environmentally conscious solutions wherever possible.
Evaporative cooling was used as it provides a refrigerant-free cooling system, which utilises less than 10% of the energy of the equivalent air conditioning system. Evaporative cooling is completely natural cooling process, used to cool food production facilities across Europe.
- Client
- Location Handforth, Cheadle
The Solution
EcoCooling trusted installers Celsius Design quoted a system of ten wall mounted EcoCooling units with food grade G4 filtration. Seven EC extraction units we also installed to balance the airflow in the opposite wall.
Evaporative cooling works as part of a balanced ventilation system, bringing fresh, filtered air into the building and extracting the hot air. On days where the outside temperature is below the cooling setpoint, external air is used to cool the building. On the hotter days, evaporative cooling is turned on, reducing the temperature by evaporating water into the air.
The result was a massive reduction in the internal working temperatures on the
hottest day of the year the day after the system was installed. The external temperature was over 31C and the internal working temperature was a steady, cool 23C.
Evaporative cooling can achieve temperatures below 25C on even the hottest days in the UK, a simple way of looking at the change in air temperature is by saying the EcoCoolers turn summer air into April air, increasing the humidity and decreasing the temperature.
The system also helped keep the working area clear of sugar dusts and other airborne contamination, creating a healthier and more comfortable working environment for all the employees.
“The system has improved the working conditions massively, the installation during normal working hours with no disruption. Very impressed with how effective the EcoCoolers are, we got them installed just in time before the hottest day ever and it worked brilliantly”
Gregg Severn
Production Manager at Food Innovation
