Free cooling is an economical method of using low external air temperatures to assist in chilling water, which can then be used for industrial process, or air conditioning systems. The chilled water can either be used immediately or be stored for the short- or long-term. With aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES), a form of seasonal thermal energy storage (STES), the cold of winter can be free cooling the next summer. Such systems can be made for single buildings or district cooling networks.
When the ambient air temperature drops to a set temperature, a modulating valve allows all or part of the chilled water to by-pass an existing chiller and run through the Free Cooling system, which uses less power and uses the lower ambient air temperature to cool the water in the system.
This can be achieved by installing an air blast cooler with any existing chiller or on its own. During low ambients a processor can by-pass an existing chiller giving energy savings of up to 75%, without compromising cooling requirements.
Read more about Free Cooling: Free Cooling in HVAC, Sources
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