Boonthavorn, a major Thai retailer of tiles, bathroom sanitary ware, kitchens and home decor, applied THERMAL-XR® graphene coating to an air-cooled chiller at one of its stores and measured a 9.00% reduction in energy use, translating to an estimated saving of 630,910 THB per year and a return on investment of under 1 year.
Case at a glance
| Customer | Boonthavorn Retail Corporation Public Company Limited |
|---|---|
| Location | Thailand |
| Site type | Home improvement retail store |
| Equipment | Air-Cooled Chiller |
| Brand | Trane |
| Capacity | 200 tons |
| Equipment age | 15 years |
| Energy savings | 9.00% |
| Cooling efficiency | 1.486 → 1.352 kW/ton |
| Annual cost saving | 630,910 THB/year |
| Return on investment | < 1 year |
Background
Air conditioning is one of the largest electricity costs for a large-format store, where showrooms must stay cool for shoppers and staff throughout long trading hours. Over time, condenser coils lose heat transfer efficiency, which forces compressors to work harder and increases energy consumption. At this Boonthavorn store, the cooling load is carried by a Trane air-cooled chiller with a capacity of 200 tons, which has been in service for 15 years.
The solution: THERMAL-XR®
THERMAL-XR® is a graphene-enhanced coating from Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG), designed to deliver superior heat transfer and protection for heat exchanger coils. The coating was spray-applied to the condenser coils of the air-cooled chiller, with no change to the equipment itself.
Results
Energy use was compared before and after coating:
- Electricity usage: 4,993 kWh/day before coating vs 4,544 kWh/day after
- Electricity cost: 584,176 THB/month before coating vs 531,600 THB/month after
- Carbon emissions: 813 tons CO2/year before coating vs 740 tons CO2/year after
- Cooling efficiency: 1.486 kW/ton before coating vs 1.352 kW/ton after
- Annual saving: 630,910 THB per year
- ROI: < 1 year
These results equal an energy saving of 9.00% and a reduction of about 73 tons of CO2 per year.
Takeaway
The Boonthavorn case shows that even a single-digit percentage saving on a large chiller adds up to more than 630,000 THB a year, paying for itself in under a year without replacing equipment.
Want similar results at your site?
Get in touch with GMG to discuss your cooling equipment, or find a THERMAL-XR® applicator near you.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +61 7 3063 6638
- Find an applicator: graphenemg.com/graphene-products/THERMAL-XR®/find-an-applicator
Measured energy savings presented in this case study are not predictors of future installation results. Estimated savings should be considered as estimates. Standard GMG disclaimer applies. All contents copyright © Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. All rights reserved.