Ammonia Refrigeration Design For Leed Certification PDF

Technical Papers
32nd Annual Meeting
International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration
March 14–17, 2010
2010 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition

Manchester Grand Hyatt
San Diego, California
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The success of the 32nd Annual Meeting of the International Institute of Ammonia
Refrigeration is due to the quality of the technical papers in this volume and the labor of its
authors. IIAR expresses its deep appreciation to the authors, reviewers and editors for their
contributions to the ammonia refrigeration industry.
Board of Directors, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration
ABOUT THIS VOLUME
IIAR Technical Papers are subjected to rigorous technical peer review.
The views expressed in the papers in this volume are those of the authors, not the
International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration. They are not official positions of the
Institute and are not officially endorsed
International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

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2010 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition

Manchester Grand Hyatt
San Diego, California

Technical Paper #4
Ammonia Refrigeration Design for

LEED Certification
Tom Dosch, PE
C & L Refrigeration
Brea, California
Doug Scott
VaCom Technologies
La Verne, California
Abstract
This paper describes how a refrigerated warehouse with an efficient refrigeration design using ammonia
can achieve LEED® certification. Development of a sustainable “green” facility with LEED certification
includes site considerations, indoor air quality, water efficiency as well as methods and materials
of construction used in the building. The largest single category, Energy and Atmosphere, provides
an excellent opportunity to utilize advantages of ammonia refrigeration. A facility being built in San
Diego employed early and extensive analysis with assistance from utility programs to determine the
cost effectiveness for design alternatives and efficiency investments including R-22 versus ammonia,
high-rise building and material handling, LED lights, rainwater recovery, water-saving measures and
solar (PV) generation. Controls and mechanical equipment were designed to make the entire system
“variable capacity.” These design features helped the facility owner achieve LEED Gold certification
while holding four times as much product as their existing facility and using half the energy.
© IIAR 2010 1

Ammonia Refrigeration Design for LEED Certification
Introduction
Utility bills are a large cost for any cold storage facility. Successful cold storage
operators and builders always consider energy efficiency and energy costs when
designing a new facility. Many owners are also interested in constructing facilities
that can be certified using the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) rating system. LEED certification has become common for commercial
buildings but has only occasionally been applied to refrigerated warehouses and
a few food plants with industrial refrigeration systems. LEED certification covers
many areas of sustainable design and construction, with Energy and Atmosphere the
largest category, emphasizing the importance of energy efficiency and atmospheric
emissions, where synthetic refrigerants are an important concern.
This paper addresses energy efficient refrigeration system design and operation in
the context of the LEED certification process. A facility that recently earned LEED
Gold certification is used as a case example, including the related evaluation of
refrigerant choices, design choices for energy efficiency, water conservation and on-
site generation capabilities, as well as control features to minimize energy use and
operating cost.
LEED Rating System
The U.S. Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ to encourage
sustainable green building and development practices. The current version begun
in 2009 is LEED V3 and includes a system that allows up to 110 points in seven
categories (with maximum points): Sustainable Sites (26), Water Efficiency (10),
Energy and Atmosphere (35), Materials and Resources (14), Indoor Environmental
Quality (15), Innovation and Design Process (6), and Regional Priority Credits
(4). Of the total 110 points, from 1 to 19 can be gained through energy efficiency,
Technical Paper #4 © IIAR 2010 3

2010 IIAR Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition, San Diego, California
which is the largest single point item within the Energy and Atmosphere category.
For new construction, one point is earned for 12% savings (compared with the
baseline building) and 19 points are earned for 48% or more savings. The LEED
V3 baseline building is defined by ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007, which does not
include provisions for refrigeration or refrigerated warehouses. In order to include
refrigeration efficiency measures, a “standard practice” baseline design must be
submitted and justified following special procedures defined by USGBC, then
compared with the proposed design, using a whole building energy simulation.
Choosing a Refrigerant
For large industrial refrigeration systems, the historical refrigerant options have been
R-22 and ammonia (R-717). For the case study in this paper, the owner’s existing
facility used R-22 and at the time the new facility was being planned, the preference
was for R-22 with the capability to convert to an HFC refrigerant in the future. This
decision was primarily based on the additional capital cost of ammonia and concern
for regulatory challenges. Today, R-22 is being phased out and the most common
halocarbon alternative is R-507, a zero-chlorine HFC that is generally less efficient
than R-22 in most applications.
The LEED Energy and Atmosphere section (2009) contains a required prerequisite
that prohibits the use of CFC refrigerants (e.g. R-12 and R-502), which have been
phased out for many years now. No specific requirement is made concerning R-22
or other HCFCs. An EA credit of two points is possible for “Enhanced Refrigerant
Management” using a calculation that combines reduced ozone depletion and
reduced global warming potential, which would readily be accomplished by using
ammonia. A comparison of ammonia, R-22 and R-507 emphasizes the benefits of
ammonia. (Table 1).
4 © IIAR 2010 Technical Paper #4

Given these differences and the additional potential for energy efficiency with
ammonia, it could certainly be argued that ammonia’s advantages justify greater
emphasis in the LEED rating system, as a means to meet the stated goals of the
LEED process.
Another important factor in choosing refrigerants is the use of indirect vs. direct
systems. Indirect systems in many refrigeration segments have used a refrigerant-
to-glycol chiller and glycol cooling coils to cool the refrigerated areas. The past
reasons for this design included keeping ammonia out of the refrigerated spaces due
to product sensitivity or safety risk. Now many systems that would have previously
been R-22 direct systems are being designed with HFC refrigerants and indirect heat
exchange fluid—typically propylene glycol—due to the high cost of HFCs and the
concern over future greenhouse gas regulations. The energy consequences of indirect
systems can be quite severe, particularly with the HFC primary and glycol secondary
design, since glycol pumps are quite large and the refrigeration system must run
at a lower suction temperature due to the additional glycol chiller heat exchanger.
Two system options deserve consideration when design constraints will not allow
a direct ammonia system. First, phase-change or “volatile” CO2 can be used as an
indirect heat exchange medium, with much lower pumping volume than glycol and
much better heat exchange characteristics, yielding attractive energy savings. CO2
technology is emergent in the U.S., and could very likely gain LEED points under the
Innovation in Design category (1–5 points). Second, if an indirect system is used,
whether glycol or CO2, application of ammonia is made easier since the charge is
reduced and ammonia is restricted to the engine room and condenser, or potentially
to just the engine room if a water cooled condenser is also employed.
Ammonia in smaller systems is a very promising opportunity. An engineered

ammonia system using reciprocating compressors and proper controls can be
exceptionally efficient compared with many commercial halocarbon systems. Also
for smaller systems that require the use of air-cooled condensers due to water
availability, ammonia should be considered. Although traditionally used with

evaporative condensers, ammonia retains its fundamental efficiency advantages at

higher condensing temperatures as well. Of course, the system must be properly
designed for air-cooled applications.
In specific instances, depending on the common design practice for a particular

industry segment, it may be reasonable to establish indirect glycol as the standard-
practice design baseline, and use indirect CO2 combined with ammonia as an energy
efficiency measure.
System Design
While the use of ammonia is environmentally sound, the selection of ammonia

alone is not sufficient to maximize energy efficiency or gain significant LEED points.
All aspects of the refrigeration system must be designed and operated with energy
efficiency and minimum water usage in mind.
System Configuration
All refrigeration systems, except for very small examples, are custom designed
– with compressors, heat exchangers, vessels, piping and controls all selected
and engineered to meet specific project requirements. Refrigeration systems are
not “packaged” and rated in the same manner that most air conditioning units
and chillers are packaged. Thus, a great deal of flexibility exists in how systems
are designed, sized and controlled. In addition to refrigerant choice, the most
fundamental decisions involve how refrigerant is managed; whether the system
uses direct expansion, flooded or overfed evaporators; whether recirculation (if
used) is accomplished with pumps or using gas pressure; whether compressors
are single-stage or two-stage; how liquid supply is managed to achieve cascading
through vessels or economizing effects.

Evaporator and Condenser Selection
The evaporators and condensers in a system have two major design considerations;
size and motor power. Since the energy use of a refrigeration system is proportional
to the “lift” involved in the process of moving heat from the evaporating temperature
to the condensing temperature, the size (i.e., TD or approach) of the system heat
exchangers has a direct bearing on compressor size and energy use. Bigger is better
when it comes to heat exchanger surface. The second factor is fan power, or more
correctly stated, the specific efficiency in terms of heat moved per unit of fan power.
A larger condenser or larger evaporator may actually be detrimental if the fan power
increase exceeds the benefit derived by the compressor as a result of lower “lift.”
Increasing size and reducing fan power both increase capital cost, which must be
justified against potential savings in the total energy use of all motors. This “balance”
is greatly affected by control strategies (e.g. variable speed) and facility operations,
which explains the historic reliance on proven design precepts and “rules of thumb”
and underscores the value of a complete system energy simulation model as a tool
for optimizing design choices.
Variable Speed Control
Electric motors on compressors, evaporators and condensers are the primary users of
electricity in a cold storage facility. Effective control of electric power consumption
can determine whether or not a cold storage facility is profitable. Variable speed
control is the primary “tool” for minimizing refrigeration system energy. Variable
speed can be used on evaporators, condensers and compressors. The benefit of
variable speed in each of these applications is different and requires careful control
and coordination.
Using variable speed control of evaporator fans as the primary means of temperature
control is analogous to “variable air volume” control, long a mainstay in commercial
air-conditioning, with the most obvious benefit coming from the non-linear

relationship between fan power and fan speed. While airflow varies directly with fan
speed, the fan power varies with the cube or “third power” of fan speed, resulting
in substantial savings at reduced airflow; with power approaching 50% at 80%
airflow, 22% power at 60% airflow, etc. These fan laws or “affinity rules” apply
quite accurately to fan systems without damper controls, such as evaporator fans or
condenser fans. Since most systems have a substantial difference between design
capacity and average cooling load, the savings potential is very high, even when the
minimum speed limit is on the order of 60–75%. Air “throw” is a common concern;
however, as a general principal, the reduction in speed and airflow should simply
reduce the terminal velocity in direct proportion. In fact, the diminishing return on
fan savings typically dictates a minimum speed on the order of 70%, which generally
maintains sufficient air circulation to achieve even temperatures.
Evaporator coil capacity and air circulation rates must be designed to meet peak
loads, which include weather extremes, maximum traffic and infiltration and
occasional pull-down loads (which may be localized in a particular zone of the
warehouse), as well as realistic safety factors for unknowns and contingences.
As a consequence, in addition to the variable speed opportunity just described,
this “extra” capacity provides an opportunity to shift cooling loads – essentially
storing cooling in the product and warehouse mass during portions of the day, then
removing extra heat when electric rates are lower. The optimum control scheme to
achieve minimum operating cost is often complex.
Evaporator coil performance at part load and reduced speed should be evaluated,
particularly regarding liquid management, through consultation with the coil
manufacturer and by considering the control system operation under all conditions.
The impact of reduced fan speed (i.e., face velocity) is actually not the pertinent
operational concern, which is supported by the fact that similar coil assemblies
are used with a wide range of motor sizes and coil velocities to make up a typical
evaporator coil product line. With variable volume temperature control, the larger
concern results from the fact that the evaporator coil is cooling continuously rather

than cooling intermittently through cycling of the liquid or suction solenoid. Note
that from the perspective of evaporator design, this is essentially no different than full
speed operation with automation to increase the evaporator temperature to match the
load requirements, through control of plant suction or a suction pressure regulator.
In either situation, the evaporator coil must be designed to operate at the minimum
expected tonnage with acceptable circuit velocity and without excess ammonia
volume. Coordination of fan speed for primary temperature control, suction pressure
and liquid feed control is addressed under Supervisory Controls.
The use of variable speed control on condenser fans has become common practice in
recent years, with numerous benefits in addition to energy savings, such as reduced
corrosion, sound levels and wear on drive components. Achieving maximum benefit
from variable speed on condenser fans requires balancing several factors. Variable
speed allows all condenser fans to run in unison, utilizing the entire condenser
surface and concurrently gaining the benefit of “third-power” fan savings with all
fans at reduced speed. Condenser control, in an energy efficiency sense, ultimately
reduces to “floating head pressure” control. The control objective is to minimize
the total power used by compressors and condenser fans through the course of the
year. Lower head pressure reduces compressor power but requires more fan power to
achieve, thus the control logic must strive to reduce head pressure as far as possible
without using excessive fan power.
While other condenser optimization strategies are possible, the method that has
emerged in recent years is ambient-reset control, which for evaporative condensing
is a “wet-bulb following” strategy, designed to maintain a difference between
condensing temperature and ambient conditions as a method to balance compressor
and fan power. Floating head pressure always involves the question of “how low
can you go.” Stability at the lowest pressures and ambient conditions is crucial—
particularly when all condenser fans are controlled in unison—yet fans typically
must be cycled off and back on during low load and low ambient conditions, without
causing pressure transients.

Industrial screw compressors increasingly use variable speed control, as the cost
and reliability of large variable speed drives has improved. Variable speed control
is an alternative to using slide-valve modulation for primary capacity control.
Project specifics must be evaluated to determine cost effectiveness; including system
design, load profile over the course of the year, number of compressors and part-
load performance of a particular manufacturer’s compressor. If possible, an hourly
simulation program should be used, incorporating the compressor performance
at the hourly conditions, as well as the part load efficiency with both slide valve
and variable speed control. Drive losses should be included in the variable speed
compressor part load performance. The simulation program must also incorporate the
supervisory control strategies employed in the case of multiple compressor systems
(e.g. operating a single variable speed machine as the “trim” compressor with other
machines at full capacity). Since energy savings is a function of part load operation,
all other proposed efficiency measures should be run first, then variable speed
compressor control evaluated to determine the incremental savings.
Supervisory Control
While individual compressor peak load and part-load efficiency are important,
supervisory control and sequencing of multiple compressors in a suction group
is often more important. Frequently, sequencing is not automated or the control
sequence is ineffective in managing the suction group to operate the minimum
number of compressors and the minimum amount of unloaded operation with the
correct compressor combination for the current load or intended capacity delivery.
This is not solely a control system issue; system design and compressor selection
should consider how the compressors will be controlled to meet the load at all
conditions and to react to expected system transitions and transients. The suction
group control should also manage the required suction temperature in concert with
variable speed evaporator fan control, so the suction pressure is neither too high
nor too low. For variable speed control to function, the suction pressure must float
only after fans are at minimum speed and before liquid feed valves are cycled,

which requires considerable care in development and fine-tuning of control system

strategies.
Water Conservation
Evaporative condensers are used in nearly all large industrial refrigeration systems,
providing lower peak demand, lower annual energy use and lower capital cost than
air-cooled condensers. These condensers, however, consume large amounts of water
through evaporation, which is the means by which heat is rejected to ambient,
plus the blow down water used to remove the minerals left behind when water
evaporates. Rule of thumb suggests 3–4 gpm for every one million BTU/hr of heat
rejected. Therefore, a relatively small 200TR ammonia system could use 12,000
gallons of water per day. Chemical water treatment has historically been required to
avoid scale build-up and biological fouling. Several current technologies provide non-
chemical treatment of the condenser water. With non-chemical water treatment, the
blow down water from the condenser may be used for irrigation, with proper controls
to keep sodium levels suitable for landscape vegetation.
During defrost, evaporator coils produce mineral-free water in the form of condensate
run off. Although defrost condensate is not a large amount of water it is potentially
sufficient for uses such as condenser water make-up or flushing toilets, which is
possible by first collecting in a grey water tank.
ICE-II: A Case Study
In March 2009, Innovative Cold Storage Enterprises, Inc. opened its second
refrigerated warehouse, “ICE II,” in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego, California. The
new 132,000 sq. ft. cold storage facility features a –10°F, 114,000 sq. ft. freezer with a
clear height of 60 ft, a 13,000 sq. ft., 45°F dock and 5,000 sq. ft. of offices. In contrast
to company’s existing ICE-I facility, “ICE II” can hold four times more product, while

requiring approximately half the power. Innovative Cold Storage Enterprises gained
LEED Gold certification for “ICE II,” in large part by obtaining 16 out of 17 possible
credit points (under the LEED V2.2 point structure) in the category Energy and
Atmosphere.
Very early in the design process for ICE II, the owner engaged the local utility, San
Diego Gas & Electric Co. SDG&E provided assistance through several programs
including the Statewide Savings By Design new construction design assistance and
incentive program, with a team that specifically addresses refrigerated warehouse
design, with integrated whole building analysis. This early involvement and use of
detailed hourly simulation helped the design team meet the owner’s expectation that
design choices and energy efficiency investments must be economically attractive.
Refrigeration is considered by ASHRAE 90.1 to be a process load and is normally

excluded from LEED credit calculations. Refrigeration can be included through the
“Exceptional Calculation Method.” The procedure involves submitting a Credit
Interpretation Request (CIR) describing the refrigeration process and defining the base
case system design and assumptions that will be used for modeling the reference
building and system design. An explanation of the proposed analysis method is also
included, generally using an hourly whole-building simulation model. The analysis is
then completed and submitted to USGBC for review and approval. DOE-2.2R building
simulation software used to perform the energy simulation. The baseline assumptions
used ASHRAE 90.1-2004 where applicable (e.g. office areas) and for the refrigerated
areas and systems primarily utilized the refrigerated warehouse baseline values and
methods developed by the Savings By Design program.
Building Configuration and Construction
A “high rise” freezer configuration was selected by Innovative Cold Storage

Enterprises, in part, on the basis of improved energy efficiency afforded by a tall box
vs. a conventional freezer design with 32–36 ft height, but proportionally greater

floor area. Heat gain, through the walls, floor and ceiling of a cold storage facility can
be minimized by limiting the exterior surface area of the facility. The high rise freezer
also requires less lighting power. However, a high rise freezer requires considerable
additional design and engineering and investment in material handling equipment,
compared with a standard freezer.
The insulation level in the walls and ceiling for the freezer was increased beyond the
Savings By Design base case insulation values, based on energy analysis. Compared
with a conventional freezer design, the compact high-rise freezer allowed greater
insulation levels with lower capital cost.
Refrigeration
The refrigeration plant consists of a central industrial system with three compressors
and one large evaporative condenser, connected to four penthouses on the freezer
area, each with two large evaporator coils, fed with recirculated ammonia. When
design began in 2006, an R-22 industrial central plant system was the initial design
choice, consistent with the Owner’s existing facility, with the capability to convert
to a zero-chlorine HFC refrigerant in the future when R-22 became unavailable.
In consideration of improved energy efficiency, an alternative ammonia system
was proposed and evaluated through the Savings By Design program. The savings
provided by a recirculated ammonia system over a similar base case design using
R-22 were sufficient to justify the additional cost for an ammonia plant and remain
within the owner’s payback criteria. Thus, ammonia was selected for the facility.
Unlike ICE’s existing facility, refrigeration systems at ICE II are fully automated.
The control system is capable of controlling compressor sequencing, suction and
discharge temperatures, compressor speed and slide-valve position, and evaporator
and condenser fan motor speeds. The control system energy efficiency measures
include ambient-following floating head pressure, variable speed primary temperature

control in the freezer, floating suction pressure and compressor supervisory control
utilizing variable speed compressors.
Lighting
Lighting energy in the freezer space is very low. Since the primary material handling
equipment is semi-automated and utilizes local lighting, the general lighting level in
the main warehouse is very low. LED (light emitting diode) high bay fixtures were
used, and incorporated individual motion sensors, taking advantage of the fact that
LED fixtures can turn completely off when not needed vs. fluorescent fixtures that
generally remain at 50% light level. These factors, coupled with the high-rise design
requiring less floor area, produced an exceptional lighting reduction compared with a
conventional refrigerated warehouse design.
On-site Generation
After incorporating all cost effective energy efficiency measures, on-site generation
was also evaluated. On-site renewable energy provides additional LEED points. ICE
II incorporated a 1-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) installation on the building
roof; half of which is fully utilized by ICE II and generates approximately 880,000
kWh annually, providing approximately one-third of the building’s annual power
requirements. The other half is owned by SDG&E and provides clean, locally
generated power to the utility grid. Several small wind generators were also included
on the building and prominently located, providing a visual reminder of the
sustainable design and operating commitment.
Water Conservation
Water conservation was a large part of the overall design effort at ICE II, earning all
of the five possible LEED points under the Water Efficiency category. Rainwater on
the site’s seven acres was collected and used to provide water for the evaporative

condenser, which uses non-chemical water treatment. The blow down water from the
condenser is collected in a storage tank and reused for landscape irrigation. Defrost
condensate from the roof mounted freezer penthouses is collected in a grey water
system and used for toilets in the office areas.
Other Technologies
Other technologies and sustainable design features included reflective concrete;

increased ventilation, daylighting and stained concrete rather than carpet in office
areas; recycled materials; waste management during construction; low-emitting
construction materials; and many other details related to design and construction
management. The high-rise material handling lifts included regenerative braking
when pallets are lowered, charging the lift batteries and reducing the braking heat
that would otherwise become a refrigeration load.
The ammonia refrigeration system readily achieved a LEED credit for Enhanced
Refrigerant Management, in addition to the energy efficiency points. Points were
gained for Enhanced Commissioning and Measurement & Verification, in part through
use of a real-time performance monitoring system, integrated with the refrigeration
control system to provide performance metrics and allow comparison of alternate
control strategies in order to optimize efficiency and operating cost.
Four of five LEED credits were earned under the Innovation and Design Process
category, based on several factors including innovative methods to reduce water
consumption.
Load Management
In addition to optimizing energy consumption (i.e., kWh usage), the refrigeration

control system includes load management logic to take advantage of the “variable
capacity” refrigeration system design. Cooling capacity can be reduced during

summer on-peak periods to reduced utility costs, as well as modulating system

capacity to utilize available solar power during the day. Control of fork truck battery
chargers is included to manage peak demand.
Conclusion
The ICE II facility achieved LEED Gold certification, earning 16 of 17 points in the
Energy and Atmosphere category and all five points in Water Efficiency, with these
two categories providing almost half of the final LEED points. The energy efficiency
measures included at ICE II resulted in annual savings of 3.4 million kWh and a 60%
reduction, compared with the Savings By Design new construction base case design.
An energy efficient refrigeration system, using ammonia refrigerant and a fully
integrated control system contributed to the LEED certification and the low operating
cost at this innovative cold storage facility.
While LEED certification can be obtained without including the refrigeration

“process” measures, the ICE II project shows that incorporated refrigeration efficiency
is possible and can help achieve the highest level of certification. Refrigerated
facilities have very high energy use intensity, making energy efficiency an important
subject to owners and the industry in general. The LEED programs developed
by the U.S. Green Building Council represent an opportunity for recognition and
advancement of energy efficiency. The industrial refrigeration industry also has an
opportunity to engage with USGBC to establish standard baselines and promote the
full value of ammonia and ammonia-based systems.

Table 1. Refrigerant Comparison
Refrigerant Description ODP Ozone GWP Global

Depletion Potential Warming Potential
R-717 Ammonia, NH3 0 <1
R-22 HCFC 0.055 1700
R-507 HFC 0 3850

Notes:

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Technical Papers

32nd Annual Meeting

International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

March 14–17, 2010

2010 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition

Return to Table of Contents

Board of Directors, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

ABOUT THIS VOLUME

IIAR Technical Papers are subjected to rigorous technical peer review.

International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration

2010 Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition

Return to Table of Contents