Customer

The time-honoured company, Siemens, manufactures its circuit-breaker and contactor product range under the familiar Sirius and Sentron brands at its Cham production facility. The eastern Bavarian facility is central to the group’s automation- and industrial switching-technology business. The use of robotics, digital networking and the topic of energy efficiency have a high priority here. It is therefore unsurprising that Siemens chose our eChiller, a model example of efficient, sustainable cooling.

Project and implementation

Siemens was looking for a highly efficient and environmentally friendly solution for cooling one of its production processes. Although a geothermic facility had initially been planned, EE and Siemens jointly devised an alternative concept which is environmentally friendly and economical in many respects. This not only avoided the need for complex, costly drilling, but also eschewed the use of climatically damaging refrigerants. The eChiller scored well in all areas: energy efficiency, plant reliability, environmental protection and a reduced carbon footprint.

Process cooling at SIEMENS

Result

The two eChillers – which were first commissioned in October 2018 – have already demonstrated their energy efficiency after just a few months in operation, and simultaneously provide for fail-safe operations.
The concept has since allowed Siemens to decouple itself from the unquantifiable risks of rising refrigerant prices, and to invest in a future-proof cooling concept. Additionally to this, the F-Gas Directive can be circumvented by the use of water (R718) as a refrigerant.

“The eChiller’s innovative refrigeration technology has allowed us to cut energy costs and avoid climatically harmful refrigerants,” says Manfred Schmidt, Energy Manager responsible for the Cham location. “This coincides perfectly with Siemens AG’s strategic climate goals and carbon-reduction programs,” he continues.