EXHIBITION CENTER "Fiera Di Rimini" – ITALY

Saving on operating cost by a sustainable technology "CRISTOPIA STL"

The Expo Centre, launched in 2001 and designed by Hamburg’s Studio GMP (HVAC designed by Studio T.I. in Rimini) is located at the north end of the town, has a total area of 460 000 square metres (160 000 of which are landscaped green areas) and has its own on-site railway station on the Milan-Bari line.

With the expansion, which began in 2003, the Expo Centre will have 168 000 square metres of useable space. 109 000 square metres of gross expo space, 16 air-conditioned halls all on ground floor and able to blacked out if necessary, reception, technical and service areas, modular conference halls able to seat up to 730 attendees, a practical high-tech business centre, a press room with a national radio/TV uplink centre, restaurants, free-flow eateries, food service points, parking space for 9 250 vehicles with motor home facilities and a helicopter landing site with a bookable heli-taxi service.


Fiera Di Rimini



Fiera Di Rimini

Exhibit space is all on ground floor level entirely cabled; three separate entrances (linked with a shuttle bus) enable several exhibitions to be held simultaneously.

A few facts and figures: 

  • Total area: 460 000 sq.m. with 16 air-conditioned expo halls,

  • Events piazza: multi-function location in front of the main (central) entrance, featuring four 32-metre high luminous towers,

  • Permanent conference facilities: one 730-seat room, two 200- and two 140-seaters and various smaller ones,

  • Table service restaurants, free-flow restaurants, bar / snack points: 16.


Cooling Load Profile

The total load profile of Fiera Di Rimini shows that a thermal energy storage is particularly well adapted to reduce the total chiller capacity and to shift the production of cooling energy from on-peak to off-peak electrical period.

The thermal energy storage STL was installed in 2 steps: installation of 1 chiller and 2 STL tanks in 2002 and completion of the whole project at the end of 2003. This installation is the biggest thermal energy storage in Europe.

Technical Data

Maximum Cooling Demand

:

18.8 MW

Centrifugal chillers

:

2 x 5 400 kW
Peak capacity supplied by chillers  : 57%
Peak capacity supplied by STL  : 43%
Cooling Energy Stored  : 66 MWh
Secondary leaving temperature  : +6°C
Secondary return temperature  : +13°C
 Nodule Type

:

  AC.00

STL StorageVolume

:

1 200 m³

Number of Tanks

:

4

Dimensions of concrete tanks

:

16 x 5 x 4.3 m

Characteristics

The plant consists of 2 centrifugal chillers (2 x 5 400 kW) and a thermal energy storage STL - AC.00 - 1200. The STL is composed of 4 concrete tanks of 300 m3 each. The 4 STL tanks and the 2 chillers are installed in series (STL downstream) with 2 plate heat exchangers.

The STL supplies 43% of the peak cooling demand and shift 18.4 MWhelec from on-peak  to off-peak electrical period. The peak electrical demand is decreased by 2 700 kVA.

Technical Advantages

Smaller chiller capacity (only 57% of peak demand)
Reduced maintenance
Efficient and reliable system
Efficient energy management with BMS
Environmentally friendly

Projects Credits

Client: Fiera Di Rimini

Consultant: Dr. Eng. Ennio MENOTTI / STUDIO T.I.

Contractor: IMPRESILO

Decrease of electrical demand by 43%
Reduction of CO2 emissions due to shifting of electrical consumption from on-peak to off-peak period (better efficiency of electricity generating plant during the night)

Financial Advantages

Saving on operating costs, maintenance, demand charge and off peak consumption
Shifting of electrical consumption from on-peak to off-peak period

See document in Italian (pdf file 1.9 Mo) presenting the cooling plant by Dr. Eng. MENOTTI