Enerblue, an Italian HVAC manufacturer, has cut a major railway maintenance hub’s CO2e emissions by up to 90%, or roughly 672 metric tons, per year by replacing its gas heating unit with a 900kW (255.9TR) air-to-water propane (R290) heat pump system, according to the company.
Through its German distributor, Kaut, Enerblue supplied and installed four of its Purplei R290 heat pumps connected in cascade to heat the 27,000m2 (290,630ft2) maintenance hub. The Purplei range offers heating capacities from 26 to 221kW (7.4 to 62.8TR), with outlet temperatures of up to 62°C (143.6°C) in −20°C (−4°F) ambient conditions.
“The decision to heat the premises in a sustainable manner stemmed from the company’s desire to improve the site’s overall efficiency and reduce emissions,” Enerblue said. “After conducting technical assessments and tests on site, the solution was to install a natural refrigerant air-to-water heat pump system.”
The setup: The hub’s underfloor heating enabled the technology transition, Enerblue explained, adding that it allowed lowering the delivery temperature from 75 to 55°C (167 to 131°F).
- The cascade heat pump configuration enables dynamic power adjustment to ensure operational continuity, even during variable load periods, according to the manufacturer.
- A 1 million L (264,200gal) storage tank stabilizes the system and supports heat pump performance.
- A dual-fuel auxiliary boiler, capable of operating on hydrogen, provides supplemental heating in extreme weather conditions.
Additional measures: The existing photovoltaic array can power the heat pumps, according to Enerblue, with a building management system optimizing the new system’s performance.
- Insulating the building and replacing the windows and doors improved the thermal energy efficiency of the maintenance facility.
Pressing forward: With its 10 years of experience manufacturing R290 and CO2 (R744) heat pumps and chillers, Enerblue continues to offer new programs and equipment.
- In April the manufacturer started offering a five-year warranty exclusively for its natural refrigerant-based product portfolio. “This extended warranty is to make clear to our customers – and our customers’ customers – that we are really confident about our products,” Francesco Zanzo, Product Manager at Enerblue, told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
- In fall 2024 Enerblue introduced its Silver range of R290 chillers with cooling capacities of up to 768kW (218.3TR).
Quotable: “This project shows that adopting natural refrigerant heat pumps is a concrete, reliable solution for large-scale industrial applications,” Enerblue said. “It can guide companies towards more sustainable, efficient, future-oriented production models.”
“This project shows that adopting natural refrigerant heat pumps is a concrete, reliable solution for large-scale industrial applications.”
Enerblue
