Demonstration of Radiative Sky Cooling System (EPIC)

Roof mounted, radiative sky cooling panel has a specialized film that cools when outside. These panels cool with minimal electricity, all day long throughout the year without evaporating water. The panels can be integrated into any new or existing refrigeration/HVAC system as an efficiency add-on for reducing electricity, water usage and GHGs from the cooling equipment.

SkyCool Systems installed its energy saving, and capacity improving panel array at two supermarkets under CEC-Bridge grant, EPC-18-006. At the first site, located in Red Bluff, CA, SkyCool installed an 80 panel array to precool the store’s refrigeration system. The array added 30 to 45 kW of additional heat rejection to the store’s air cooled condenser and resulted in 50 psig lower compressor discharge pressures. This yielded a maximum energy savings of 15% and lowered the peak demand for the refrigeration system by 5 to 7 kW. Additionally, the site had previously needed to place a sprinkler under the condenser for the system to run in the summer; with the addition of the array, the store was able to remove the sprinkler from the roof. At the second site, located in Milpitas, CA, SkyCool installed a 60 panel array that subcooled the refrigeration system when the ambient was less than 75oF, and precooled the condenser the rest of the year. When the subcooler was operating, SkyCool was able to add 10 to 25F of additional subcooling, resulting in 15% to 20% reduction in energy usage. When the precooler was running, the array was able to add 25 to 30 kW of additional capacity to the condenser, lowering the power demand in the summer by 3 kW. The array resulted in nearly 20,000 kWh of energy saved.