Heat Recovery Variable Refrigerant Volume System Installation and Experiences from its Summer Operation

Abstract

Variable refrigerant volume (VRV) systems operate on the principle of a cooling machine. They extract heat from one side and return it on the other, enabling them to function as a source of heat for both heating and hot water preparation, as well as a source of cold for cooling within a single building. These systems efficiently remove unnecessary excess heat outside and only introduce the required amount of heat from the outside into the building. With an appropriate configuration and setting, a VRV system can transfer heat in both directions within one system, eliminating the requirement for waste heat to be removed without use in the building. Instead, it is transferred to the desired locations where it is needed. This principle necessitates the adjustment of not only the refrigerant temperature but also its flow rate. Consequently, the VRV system can fulfil tasks that are otherwise handled by several individual systems in a building.
A heat recovery VRV system was installed in a small retail store to extract waste heat generated by baking ovens during the baking process. This report provides a brief summary of electricity and energy consumption measurements taken during the summer period for cooling purposes. Sequential logic is observed and coherence is ensured, with active voice predominating for clearer and more direct communication. The parameters of interest include cooling setpoints, cooling outside of working hours, and capacity assessment.