Emerald Environmental Technologies ice3 Cube System
Utilizing an ultra-low charge of R410A refrigerant today, for an eco-friendly commercial refrigeration system for years into the future
Safe. Efficient. Productive.
Emerald Environmental Technologies ice3 Cube System utilizes an ultra-low charge of R410A refrigerant resulting in an eco-friendly commercial refrigeration system. In addition, reclaiming the heat produced from the everyday use of the ice3 Cube is a crucial part of our design. This is free energy harnessed by Emerald Environmental Technologies, redirected and used in multiple applications providing warmth for radiant flooring/seating, Zamboni ice management, and facility heat. Adding processes to reclaim this free energy is always a win-win for our customers.
ice3 Cube System Cost Benefits and Savings
Maintenance Benefits:
Maintenance costs for the ice3 Cube System are a small percentage compared to central larger plants. Many competitors are touting natural gas driven engines with screw compressors, however the maintenance contracts are very large in cost and replacement costs of the chillers are also extremely large. More customers are removing these natural gas engine drives than installing them. The simple nature of the Ice3 Cube System with its small closed refrigeration circuits, have little to no maintenance required.
Long Term Financial Replacement Planning:
Since every ice3 Cube System is its own independent chiller, in 25 years when the newer technology Cubes are available, ice3 Cubes can be replaced individually over several years leaving the system piping/pumping systems in place. Replacing one ice3 Cube at a time, over a period of time, is extremely cost effective for budget planning.
Utility Incentives:
Emerald Environmental Technologies works with the local utility company by providing past incentive information and design expectations in order to assist the facility requesting incentives. The Energy Engineering team, approved by the utility company work with our staff closely to optimize the local and state incentives that might be available.
ice3 Cube System Waste Heat Reclamation – repurposing free energy
Reclaiming the heat produced from the everyday use of the ice3 Cube is a crucial part of our design. This is free energy harnessed by Emerald Environmental Technologies, redirected and used in multiple applications providing warmth for radiant flooring/seating, Zamboni ice management, and facility heat. Adding processes to reclaim this free energy is always a win-win as we save energy by eliminating the need to run fans and pumps but also reuse the free heat already provided from the ice3 Cube System.
Once all the heat is reclaimed and redirected, there is sometimes still too much heat that must be rejected – just like the radiator in your car. This excess heat is effortlessly released through a fluid cooler placed on the roof.
Radiant Flooring:
Warmed water for the radiant flooring comes from heat produced from the ice3 Cube System refrigeration process and can be used for radiant heat in common areas, locker rooms, and in outdoor applications.
Zamboni Ice Management:
Cold water from the melted Zamboni water comes from the melted ice shavings. Typically in the Zamboni pits sits an immersed closed coil, very much like a water heater. The ice3 Cube System warms the inside of this coil from reclaimed Cube heat to 100*F and the outside warms a bath of water with ice shaving to 70*F. This melts the shavings and allows the Zamboni to stay inside the building. The melted water is then sent down the storm drains. Since we use the shavings on a warm coil it reduces the amount of energy that the fan on the cooling tower must produce.
Keene Ice Area and the Ice Haus at Jay Peak have very expensive water utilities. With the goal of reducing these expenses, Emerald Environmental Technologies, designed a filtration system for the water created with the melted Zamboni ice shavings. That water is used as a source for the rejection cooling tower, and therefore a substantial source of facility expenses are mitigated. In the summer, this same cold water from the melted shavings are used in the cooling tower for the rejection of excess ice3 Cube System cube heat. Not only is this a very efficient way of expelling the extra heat but it also avoids the traditional method requiring using fans which would require electric consumption.
Distribution Pumps:
Reclaim heat distribution pumps for all the heating consumers. The ice3 Cube System utilizes a glycol fluid (antifreeze) that circulates through the Cubes removing waste heat. They pump this now warm fluid to a place where we can either reclaim the heat such as radiant floor or ice melt, or to the cooling tower so we can reject the heat outdoors if there is excess heat. The cooling tower works just like our car’s radiator, the engine is cooled by circulating the antifreeze that is then rejected through the radiator. If you use the heat in your car it takes that same warm fluid and uses it to heat the air in the passenger compartment of the car or defrost the windshield.
Modular Design – building block design allows for easy customization in spatial design, energy efficiency, and future expandability
Modular Benefits:
By using modular ice3 Cube System we accurately match the refrigeration load creating an instant energy benefit illuminating the need for operating an oversized plant. Customizing your refrigeration plant to the exact size needed is where the modular Cubes are particularly attractive. Emerald Environmental Technologies have designed the Cubes to be 30 1/4” wide, which means they fit through standard doorways of 32”. The Cubes are light, quiet, and modular. In one location, the mechanical room was built on the third floor next to the digital controls with real time reporting, and massive reduction of building heat required due to heat reclaim, is probably the largest benefit.
When a new facility is unsure of their long term program growth, a reduced amount of ice3 Cubes can be installed with an infrastructure for adding cubes in the future. This is not possible with those systems that use one large skid. Emerald Environmental Technologies’ building block design allows for easy customization in both design and energy efficiency for future expandability.
As the ice3 Cubes contain less than 20 pounds of refrigerant per Cube which allows the refrigeration room to be reclassified as a mechanical room removing any requirements for alarming or special construction.
Leaving Brine Behind:
Ice3 Cubes use a glycol, not a brine solution, so corrosion and damage from brine is never an issue. Glycol is a safe secondary refrigerant that is extremely stable. Brine is a solution of calcium chloride and water, essentially a man-made salt water. When leaks in the system of brine happen and it is exposed to the air, steel components and piping rot. Regularly scheduled chemical adjustments of brine must be done every few months, which is expensive and often not done. It is common to find piping and equipment internals, such as chiller barrels, rotting away. Glycol is non corrosive and chemical adjustment of treated glycol is adjusted every few years, if at all.
Safety Advantages:
Customers love the modular design and because there are multiple Cubes, by its own nature, redundant equipment is built into the project. Redundancy is a key requirement of an ice facility. In the event of a mechanical failure additional backup systems coming on line negates the need for costly after hours service and potential for loss of ice. Since the largest Cube model has no more than a 25 pound charge of R410A, no special room requirements are needed. The ice3 Cube System falls under the threshold of required insurance company inspections and their need for an isolated room from open flame, which opens up the option for locations within the building. By eliminating the need for separation from Zamboni engines, boilers, and/or water heaters (because the ice3 Cube Systems are glycol), they can be installed directly into outdoor air systems.
The Cubes are at 1 pound per ton of refrigeration. To put this in to perspective, many competitive systems are standardly at 5-7 pounds per ton of the more dangerous ammonia refrigerant. Emerald Environmental Technologies ice3 Cube System utilizes an ultra-low charge of a very safe class A1 refrigerant, R410A refrigerant (glycol) resulting in an eco-friendly commercial refrigeration system.
Request a Consultation
The expert team at Emerald Environmental Technologies can help define and customize which ice3 Cube combinations are ideal for your community/municipal/outdoor, upgrade project, or collegiate rink. Emerald Environmental Technologies is based in New England and services the entire east coast up through Canada. Please contact us today to request a free consultation or Email or call 603-238-9249 with questions.