Passive conditioning of a large beverage ware-house by activating the buffer effect of the ground

Abstract

A new production facility for a beverage manufacturer has to provide a storage volume for around 5 million bottles as a refrigerated warehouse. The maximum temperatures were not allowed to exceed 14 °C due to the quality requirements in the production process. To achieve highest energy efficiency and to avoid year-round heating and cooling, the warehouse is passively conditioned: by explicitly coupling it with adjacent soil, its buffering effect was activated via uninsulated wall and floor components in contact with the ground. The warehouse stock was also integrated into the concept as thermal mass. Furthermore, the remaining building envelope was optimized to reduce heat gains and losses to external air to a minimum.