Thai retailer Golden Place has reduced the annual electricity consumption of one of its supermarkets by 12% following the installation of propane (R290)-based semi-plug-in (SPI) display cases and waterloop system supplied by Austrian manufacturer AHT Cooling Systems – a member of the Daikin Group – according to a recent case study.
The R290 installation delivers energy savings of more than 143,000kWh per year compared to a conventional R404A-based rack system, AHT noted.
Combined with a 97% reduction in refrigerant charge – just 19.8kg of R290 versus 750kg of R404A – and propane’s 100-year GWP of less than 1, the new system is expected to cut the store’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 3,025 metric tons of CO2e, based on R404A’s GWP of 4,728.
Beyond environmental benefits, the propane-based solution delivers measurable financial gains. AHT has estimated energy cost savings of at least $209,000 (€179,800) over 10 years.
Golden Place sought a future-proof refrigeration solution that is energy-efficient, low-maintenance and environmentally responsible. The installation demonstrates how natural refrigerant technologies can meet these goals, said AHT.
“It’s a scalable, modular approach that shows how climate-friendly refrigeration and operational efficiency can go hand in hand,” the company noted in a LinkedIn post.
Golden Place currently operates 19 stores across Thailand.
“It’s a scalable, modular approach that shows how climate-friendly refrigeration and operational efficiency can go hand in hand.”
AHT Cooling Systems
Pilot project
The installation was implemented under Thailand’s Cooling Innovation Fund (CIF), a pilot program supporting advanced cooling systems.
The CIF was established in 2021 by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the German government’s Green Cooling Initiative III (GCI III) to accelerate the country’s transition to sustainable refrigeration. One of the fund’s key objectives is promoting the use of natural refrigerants.
System architecture
Installed by AI Plus, AHT’s Thai partner, the Golden Place system combines multiple medium- and low-temperature units connected to an AHT SPI waterloop that uses a water-propylene glycol mixture to collect and transfer waste heat from the refrigeration units.
While waste heat has traditionally been released into the ambient air, this installation includes a heat recovery system to further enhance energy efficiency. NaturalRefrigerants.com has contacted AHT for more information about this feature.
The AHT technologies installed at the store include:
- 17 VENTO SPI display cases
- 3 upright freezers
- 25 semi-vertical cabinets
- 3 self-service counters
- 16 Zanotti cold room units
- 4 air dry coolers with pump stations
