Close to international engineering company Danfoss’ HQ in Nordborg in Southern Denmark the company have built a new supermarket that also acts as a test centre for Danfoss' energy-efficient solutions. The so-called Smart Store will continuously test the company’s solutions in a fully functioning environment. With built-in technical solutions, and provisions for even more, the store estimates it will be around 50% more energy-efficient than traditional supermarkets with first-generation CO2 refrigeration systems.
The building consists of a "standard" supermarket and a smaller attached Application Development Centre (ADC) building that houses the Danfoss technology and visitor centre. The supermarket has a central location in the area and thus the building can be seen from all sides - it has no back side. Therefore, the project consists of two rectangular building volumes inscribed in a circular green mega pergola, planted with green climbing plants. This means that the mega pergola is the building's primary façade expression which ensures that the building is beautiful no matter where you look at it. At the same time, the green façade makes the building become a natural part of the park.
The Smart Store incorporates a variety of integral solutions that have been important to take into consideration when designing the building. On the roof of the supermarket is 660 square meters of solar panels helping to ensure a low carbon-based energy demand. The roof of the ADC features a sedum layer that introduces controlled rainwater delay mechanisms, thereby safeguarding the municipal sewer infrastructure against inundation. Excess rainwater is meticulously harvested and repurposed for the irrigation of the expansive mega pergola.
Heat capture and reuse are also key to the energy efficiency of the supermarket with up to 90% reduction in supermarket heating costs expected. The Smart Store is fitted with state-of-the-art heat recovery units, designed to recover the waste heat from all the refrigeration systems. These units are adept at recuperating waste heat emitting from the entirety of the refrigeration systems. The reclaimed thermal energy serves a dual purpose: elevating the internal climate of the store and facilitating the generation of domestic hot water. Any surplus thermal output is seamlessly channelled into a district energy grid, thereby benefitting the nearby township residents. The building's proactive design also accounts for the future integration of energy storage solutions, such as batteries.
It has been Danfoss' aim that all the measures will secure sustainability certifications such as DGNB Gold and LEED Platinum.
The project has been developed in close collaboration with Danfoss’ engineers and developers to implement present and future functions in the project.
