When you look at a cold storage facility from the outside, it looks no different from any industrial building in California. Although it may not look any different, these buildings are very different indeed. A building that has been designed and constructed exclusively for use as a cold storage facility is very sophisticated and use state-of-the-art technology to ensure that the entire operation operates within narrowly defined parameters and does so at the lowest possible cost of operation.
Cold storage systems have several common denominators. The facility design is based on what is to be stored and for how long. Designers focus on:
Energy Efficiency
Minimizing the cost of operation of a cold storage facility is very important. While designing the facility, factors such as the temperature outside, the temperature of rooms adjoining the chiller, the number, location, and type of lights and the orientation of the building to the sun are all taken into consideration.
Refrigeration
An efficient structure is one thing; the refrigeration system employed is something else. When designing the refrigeration system, engineers consider compressor efficiency as well as the condenser, the drive motors, and controls. A calculated balance between the refrigeration equipment and the operational expectations will result in the most efficient facility.
Automation
There have been great strides in industrial automation. Today, operational data collection and assimilation coupled with efficient mechanical equipment ensures that the cold storage facility operates at peak performance, around the clock.
Building Design
It requires a staggering amount of energy to run a cold storage facility. The design of the insulated panels that are used for the walls, roof, and the floor is critical. These components must use the best possible insulating materials available. Doors for equipment and human passage must be of the highest standard.
There is a great deal of thought that goes into the design and construction of a cold storage facility. Far more than meets the eye.
