Energy saving in public house

[adam2]

I have made an energy saving/heat reducing innovation at a pub run by a friend.

In line with usual practice, keg lager is cooled on it way to the dispense taps in the bar, the remote cooler to achieve this is situated in the cellar, this consumes considerable energy and makes the cellar very hot.

Most brewers now offer, rather reluctantly, a newer design of cooler with a "remote heat dump" Instead of heating the room containing the beer cooler, water is warmed and passed through a fan cooled radiator installed outdoors, thereby removing heat entirely from the premises. The water contains antifreeze against frost damage and the fan operates at 24 volts from a transformer built into the cooler.

I have installed one of these with an energy saving improvement. TWO remote heat dumps are installed, one outdoors for summer use, and a second one indoors under a bench seat in the bar, for winter use.
In summer mode, the waste heat which is as much as 3 kw is removed entirely from the premises, rather than making any indoor area too hot. The reduced temperature in the cellar will allow other equipment to operate more economically and more reliably.

In winter mode, the heat contributes to warming the bar area thereby reducing the need for other heating.

[Mark]

I have made an energy saving/heat reducing innovation at a pub run by a friend.

Nice one Adam....

Suggest that you spend some time to quantify the savings and payback periods, taking into account the extra capital/installation costs....
& then approach somebody like Tim Martin and/or the OEM(s)....
You never know, by next year you could be a millionaire....

[adam2]

My "invention" works fine in an owner operated pub where the owner is interested in energy saving and in reducing climate change.

Very doubtful indeed as to how well it would work in the average managed pub, where IME most managers have not a clue about energy saving, and would not be able to understand it.
Most pub companies talk a fair bit of greenwash but are reluctant to do anything much.

[adam2]

The economics are hard to compute due to the many unknowns, but here are some figures from the installation in question, and notes as to how obtained.

Electricity use of remote cooler in hot weather, before modification,----------------1.3 kw average, measured with plug in monitor
Heat output of cooler-------------------------------------------------------------------------2.5 to 3 kw, my estimate.
Electricity used by cooler after modification---------------------------------------------1.2 kw average, measured as above.

Air temperature in cellar before remote heat dump------------------------------44 degrees average, 50 maximum.
Air temperature after fitting remote heat dump-----------------------------------35 degrees average, 40 maximum.

Direct energy savings in Summer are minimal, estimate 100 watts saved for 4,000 hours a year, a saving of 400 kwh or about £60 worth.

Working conditions in the cellar are clearly improved, but hard to put a value on that.
Other refrigeration equipment in the area should use less power in the less hot conditions, but hard to measure this.
The cold room cooler should use less energy than before, since opening the door admits air less hot than before. Heat gain through the wall into the cold room will also be reduced.

The bar area should be slightly cooler since some of the heat from the cellar rises through the floor or up the stairs. Can not put a value on that.

In winter, the remote beer cooler uses -------------------------------------------------0.8 kw average as measured last winter.
After modification, WINTER energy use by cooler expected to be unchanged.
Heat output into bar in winter -----------------------------------------------------------2 kw, my estimate.
Saving on other heating is 2KW, for 2,000 hours a year my estimate. 4,000 kwh is worth about £600 at current price. I have estimated "winter" as being 4,000 hours, but that the "free heating" is only useful for about half of this time.

In winter there will also be a saving by the cellar being cooler and other equipment working more efficiently. It should be possible to reduce the operating season of the cold room cooler significantly, more savings.

Installation costs minimal, remote heat dump chiller was gratis from the brewery, reluctantly. Second remote heat dump £50 from fleabay. plastic hose and twin flex was to hand but would have cost about £30 if purchased.
Labour cost was a steak dinner and some beer for myself, retail price about £50, but the cost price was much less than that.
Owners time not counted, a few hours.

[kenneal - lagger]

This sort of thing will have to be mandatory if we are to achieve the 1.5C or less temperature increase. Get in touch with brewery chain Sustainability Officers if you want some work and suggest it to them!

[Mark]

This sort of thing will have to be mandatory if we are to achieve the 1.5C or less temperature increase. Get in touch with brewery chain Sustainability Officers if you want some work and suggest it to them!

My thinking too, Ken.
Adam didn't seem to think that there would be traction with the Breweries, but maybe if he gets the right ear...
There's also the pubs/bars themselves (not just in the UK), or companies that fit-out pubs, or perhaps the manufacturers of the beer coolers.....

In Adam's case study, he estimates that the pub will save a minimum of £660/yr on utilities - not an insignificant amount for a small business
Would suggest that these figures need to be confirmed before any approaches were made....
Adam, maybe you could monitor consumption/bills over a year cycle ?

All for a cost outlay of £50, although for wider uptake, it needs a comparison with the prices of new parts and realistic labour rates...
Nice as that steak dinner and beer sounded....

Even if this isn't an opportunity for Adam himself, somebody else might want to take up the idea and run with it ?

[Catweazle]

I reckon the first thing to do is calculate how much energy is going to be extracted from a keg of lager in a cool cellar in Winter.

[adam2]

I reckon the first thing to do is calculate how much energy is going to be extracted from a keg of lager in a cool cellar in Winter.

It could be calculated from the specific heat capacity of water (beer is mainly water and the specific heat capacity of beer will be very close to that of water) The temperature through which it is to be cooled, and the volumes involved.

The starting temperature of the beer could be as high as 40 degrees if stored outdoors in Summer, or as low as 12 degrees if in a cold cellar.

Of more relevance though is the energy used by existing types of draught beer cooler, and on how to remove this heat to the outdoors in summer, and to re-use it for space heating in winter.

[kenneal - lagger]

With a pub using a lot of hot water a coil in the bottom of the hot water tank to take the fridge cooling could be a useful addition.

[adam2]

Summer mode now selected for the beer cooler, whereby the heat is removed from the premises.
The savings from use of my invention have more than doubled due to the great increase in electricity prices.

[adam2]

My heat reducing "invention" has been most welcome in the recent extreme heatwave. In Summer the energy saving is modest, but the reduction in heat within the premises is very welcome.

My most recent heat reducing idea has been to remove the ice maker from the cellar and place it in a ventilated outbuilding, this might save a little electricity but the main purpose of the idea is to reduce unwanted summer heat input to the main building.
Also a substantial WATER saving. The waste water from the ice maker previously went down the drain. It now runs into a large tank in the garden and is used for watering the garden in place of mains water.

The ventilation openings in the outbuilding can be covered with shutters for winter use, as otherwise it might get get too cold for proper operation.

[adam2]

UPDATE TIME.
If anyone here runs a pub, or knows anyone who does, then the above ideas are well worth considering. My estimates of the financial savings were when when electricity was about 15 pence a unit. It is now more more than twice as expensive.
Other heating fuel has also increased in price, increasing the money saved by free heating.