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Cooling Towers

updated: 29 April 2005 BY John Herbert

Water cooled Air Conditioning

Water-cooled air-conditioning (HVAC) systems use equipment called cooling towers to remove heat from water used to cool a process or a building.

These water based systems provide owners with significant benefits over air cooled systems, including lower energy costs, smaller size, and lower sound level.

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Cooling towers use just a small percentage of the total energy used by the cooling system. A well-maintained cooling tower enables the entire cooling system to perform more reliably and ensures that energy users get the most from their investment.

In 2000, 32% of the total electricity consumption in Hong Kong was used to drive air-conditioning [1] Converting to water based system of cooling towers offers superior energy advantages keeping more of your hard earned money in your pocket. There also many secondary benefits, the most notable is the lower electricity consumption reduces power station community air pollution.

Hong Kong Cooling Tower Pilot Scheme

In June 2000 a co-operative effort between various government departments introduced the fresh water energy conservation pilot scheme. Under this scheme, commercial operations may choose to use fresh water for evaporative cooling, typically employing cooling towers for air conditioning heat rejection.

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Cost Savings

Air conditioning systems account for more than forty percent (40%) of commercial building energy usage in Hong Kong, and upto seventy percent (70%) of electrical usage.

cooling tower expertise solving cooling tower design and installation problems Hong Kong, China, Asia. Cooling towers offer energy efficient solutions lower noise, for air conditioning and process heat rejection systems, at lower cost.

The total energy cost for water based cooling tower systems are typically seventeen percent (17%) lower than the dry type heat rejection offering a substantial business advantage.

Furthermore, if we consider that the real cost of energy never diminishes, since charges have generally risen over the last ten years, in the long term cooling towers saves the CAPex - the cost savings can accrue very quickly.

For example, an air conditioning system with a cooling capacity of 600Kw (approx. 170 tons) converting to cooling towers could save you more than HK$500,000 per year. And assuming a conservative lifespan, lets say fifteen years, a well designed cooling tower system would save approximately HK$ 7.5 million.

In addition to the direct cost savings, there are indirect benefits, reduced electrical consumption equates to lower environmental emissions at the power station, lowering your environmental footprint.

Pilot Zones

Over the years since the initiative was launched, the scheme has been gradually widened covering additional districts, Kowloon and the outlying Islands.

If your non-residential building or unit is within the permitted zone one may apply. Don't forget, you need not convert an entire building, individual premises, such as restaurants, etc. may apply too.

Interested?

At the time of writing, the cooling tower installation pilot scheme in Hong Kong has been extended until May 2006. If you interested to find out more, call Kelcroft today and we will check if your building or unit is eligible.

If you are considering new chiller plant or replacement chiller, call today - we have the skills and experience to plan, manage, and execute the entire process leaving you free to concentrate on your core business.

Further Information

For further information regarding Kelcroft's services, call today, our Hong Kong office telephone: +(852) 2335 9830, send us a fax +(852) 2335 9862, or send us an email message

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