Cold Link Africa November/December 2017 | Page 19

INTERNATIONAL NEWS INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN Carel victorious at World Beverage Innovation Awards C arel was recently crowned the winner in the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2017’s “Best environmental sustainability initiative” category for its Heez control solution for beverage coolers. Carel’s Heez, designed as a top- efficiency and energy-saving solution for the control and management of beverage Carel’s Heez control solution for beverage coolers won in the “Best environmental sustainability initiative” category. coolers, has been recognised as the best environmental sustainability product at the World Beverage Innovation Awards. The World Beverage Innovation Awards celebrate excellence and innovation across every category of the global beverage industry and recognise the most innovative products and technologies on the market. “The fact that Heez won this award emphasises Carel’s excellent reputation as long-standing company driver of innovation within the industry and validates our efforts and our approach towards a more responsible and sustainable industry,” says Alessandro Greggio, Carel Group head of refrigeration and retail. Carel successfully nominated its new Heez solution, which responds to regulations and beverage companies’ challenges to reduce environmental impact. This is becoming imperative due to the large spread of these types of refrigeration units. Industry needs to respond to these challenges by both taking direct action — such as adopting the use of natural gases (that is, propane for Heez) — and by aiming at even lower energy consumption. The challenge becomes more difficult considering the need to keep unit performance during the beverage’s temperature pull-down. Through synergetic use of continuous modulating devices, such as rotary DC inverter compressors, the cooler operation will adapt to both steady operation and pull-down. HIGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY Tests conducted by an accredited laboratory on a beverage cooler equipped with the Heez solution, showed energy consumption corresponding to an energy efficiency index (EEI) that is better than any same- category cooler published in the top 10.EU (a consumer-orientated online search tool, which presents the best models in various product categories), indeed with an EEI that is 47% lower than the average. This has been achieved without compromising the beverage pull-down times that, with Heez, are in fact reduced by 62% compared to the values allowed for by the test protocols. Alessandro Greggio, Carel Group head of refrigeration and retail (on left), accepting the award from FoodBev Media. These results apply to different refrigerated merchandisers, both open front and glass doors, as experienced by early adopters and innovative customers’ units on show during Drinktec (held 15–17 September in Germany). CLA COLD LINK AFRICA • November | December 2017 www.coldlinkafrica.co.za 19