Test Results at Colruyt
Update: we installed three ColdShift controllers on commercial freezers in the sales area of a Colruyt supermarket in Halle (Belgium). Once installed, these ColdShift controllers operated in cost optimization mode. They used live BELPEX day ahead hourly market prices. The tests were made at two different temperature settings. Following this, we made the ColdShift controllers run with electricity prices varying per 15 minutes. Then once more we did tests at two different temperature settings.
ColdShift Patented
Update: in 2015 the Netherlands Patent Office granted a patent on the ColdShift technology for CRE (Commercial Refrigerating Equipment). The patent description is: “Controller for time shifting of refrigeration demand in a refrigerated display cabinet, a refrigerated service cabinet or a refrigerated vending machine”. The patent is registered as NL2012316A.
The roots of ColdShift
The “roots” of the ColdShift controller go back to the 2006 “Night Wind” project. In this EU research project, we presented the idea to shift the time of use for an industrial cold store. Then we demonstrated it at one of the largest cold stores in The Netherlands. The project caught international acclaim following an on-line publication by the well-known “Nature” magazine. (pdf)