Compressor specialist Bitzer’s British subsidiary Bitzer UK and contractor G&O Refrigeration were honoured with this year’s National ACR and Heat Pump Award in the category ‘ACR Project of the Year’ at a ceremony in Birmingham, UK, for a series of energy saving ice rink projects. It was the first time Bitzer’s CSV compact semi-hermetic screw compressors had been used in ice rink applications. G&O Refrigeration developed a new rink refrigeration plant called ‘Gorac chiller pack’ based on CSV compressors with integrated frequency inverter. The energy required to form and maintain an ice pad is one of the most important elements in rink running costs, and the energy saving aspect of the inverter compressor was a major consideration in deciding the award. The CSV is a fairly recent addition to the Bitzer range, with on-board protection and monitoring sensors, magnetic valves for regulation and liquid injection in a pre-wired package. The compressors operate on R134a, which is normally associated with medium temperature applications such as commercial air conditioning. However, its performance envelope is quite wide, and the contractor was attracted by the fact that it can evaporate down to -17°C at a suction pressure of 0.5 bar. Following its success, G&O Refrigeration has now produced 10 Gorac packs for use in rinks across the UK.