Embracing Sustainable Cooling Solutions In an era where environmental concerns have taken center stage, the need for sustainable practices has become more pressing than ever before. As the global population continues to grow, so does the demand for cooling solutions to combat rising temperatures and provide comfort in various settings. However, traditional cooling methods have often come at a considerable cost to the environment, consuming substantial amounts of energy and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Amidst this challenge, a promising alternative has emerged: district cooling. This innovative approach to cooling not only addresses the environmental impact of traditional cooling systems but also offers numerous benefits in terms of energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and urban planning. The concept of district cooling revolves around the centralized production and distribution of chilled water or air, serving multiple buildings within a given area. Rather than relying on individual cooling units in each building, district cooling utilizes a network of pipes to transport chilled water or air from a central plant to connected buildings, providing a more efficient and sustainable cooling solution. By consolidating the cooling process, district cooling reduces energy consumption, minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, and optimizes the use of resources. This book aims to delve into the world of district cooling, exploring its principles, applications, and transformative potential. Whether you are an engineer, an urban planner, an energy consultant, or simply someone interested in sustainable technologies, this book will serve as a comprehensive guide to understanding the fundamental concepts and practical aspects of district cooling. Throughout these pages, we will explore the key components of district cooling systems, including central plants, distribution networks, and building connections. We will delve into the technical aspects, discussing the various chilling methods, heat rejection techniques, and control systems that optimize the efficiency of district cooling. Furthermore, we will examine case studies from different regions and climates, highlighting successful implementations of district cooling in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. In addition to its environmental benefits, district cooling offers economic advantages. We will explore the financial aspects of district cooling, discussing the cost savings it can generate for building owners and operators. We will also examine the potential for integration with renewable energy sources, such as solar or geothermal, further enhancing the sustainability and resilience of district cooling systems. As we progress through the chapters, it is important to acknowledge that district cooling is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each region and project presents unique challenges and opportunities. Therefore, this book will also address the planning considerations, regulatory frameworks, and implementation strategies needed to successfully deploy district cooling systems. By the end of this book, it is our hope that readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of district cooling and its potential to revolutionize the way we approach cooling in the built environment. We invite you to embark on this journey, exploring the cutting-edge technologies and innovative practices that can shape a more sustainable and comfortable future for our cities. Let us embrace district cooling as a catalyst for change, ushering in an era of sustainable cooling solutions that safeguard our planet for generations to come.

This report identifies modern district energy as the most effective approach for many cities to transition to sustainable heating and cooling, by improving energy efficiency and enabling higher shares of renewables. This publication is one of the first reports to provide concrete policy, finance and technology best-practice recommendations on addressing the heating and cooling sectors in cities through energy efficiency improvements and the integration of renewables, both of which are central to the energy transition. These recommendations have been developed in collaboration with 45 champion cities, all of which use district energy, with 11 of them using it to achieve 100 per cent renewables or carbon-neutral targets.

The District Cooling Guide provides design guidance for all major aspects of district cooling systems, including central chiller plants, chilled-water distribution systems, and consumer interconnection. It draws on the expertise of an extremely diverse international team with current involvement in the industry and hundreds of years of combined experience.

This report defines the concept of district cooling and summarizes its benefits and challenges then presents technologies used in the process---including stand-alone as well as integrated or cogeneration (or even trigeneration) solutions. It also discusses business models followed in the district cooling sector and considers the financial feasibility of district cooling projects and goes over the various regulations regarding district cooling. The report then looks into how district cooling has developed worldwide and examines the district cooling market in the People's Republic of China, then recommends steps that should be taken for the further development of district cooling in the country.

This long-awaited reference guide provides a complete overview of low energy cooling systems for buildings, covering a wide range of existing and emerging sustainable energy technologies in one comprehensive volume. An excellent data source on cooling performance, such as building loads or solar thermal chiller efficiencies, it is essential reading for building services and renewable energy engineers and researchers covering sustainable design. The book is unique in including a large set of experimental results from years of monitoring actual building and energy plants, as well as detailed laboratory and simulation analyses. These demonstrate which systems really work in buildings, what the real costs are and how operation can be optimized – crucial information for planners, builders and architects to gain confidence in applying new technologies in the building sector. Inside you will find valuable insights into: the energy demand of residential and office buildings; facades and summer performance of buildings; passive cooling strategies; geothermal cooling; active thermal cooling technologies, including absorption cooling, desiccant cooling and new developments in low power chillers; sustainable building operation using simulation. Supporting case study material makes this a useful text for senior undergraduate students on renewable and sustainable energy courses. Practical and informative, it is the best up-to-date volume on the important and rapidly growing area of cooling.

Conventional thermal power generating plants reject a large amount of energy every year. If this rejected heat were to be used through district heating networks, given prior energy valorisation, there would be a noticeable decrease in the amount of fossil fuels imported for heating. As a consequence, benefits would be experienced in the form of an increase in energy efficiency, an improvement in energy security, and a minimisation of emitted greenhouse gases. Given that heat demand is not expected to decrease significantly in the medium term, district heating networks show the greatest potential for the development of cogeneration. Due to their cost competitiveness, flexibility in terms of the ability to use renewable energy resources (such as geothermal or solar thermal) and fossil fuels (more specifically the residual heat from combustion), and the fact that, in some cases, losses to a country/region’s energy balance can be easily integrated into district heating networks (which would not be the case in a “fully electric” future), district heating (and cooling) networks and cogeneration could become a key element for a future with greater energy security, while being more sustainable, if appropriate measures were implemented. This book therefore seeks to propose an energy strategy for a number of cities/regions/countries by proposing appropriate measures supported by detailed case studies.

This edited book surveys the major sustainability challenges facing Asian cities, in particular those related to urban energy and city cooling. The book discusses the key concepts and issues involved, addressing the three levels of micro (individual buildings), meso (neighbourhoods/districts) and macro (whole or large parts of cities). It illustrates different paradigms of urban development and explores how to create cooler cities by applying integrated sustainable design and planning on all three levels, bridging the gap between specialist approaches by highlighting both built projects, processes, and research. It also raises questions about prevalent paradigms of urban development as well as topics relating to urban district cooling solutions, sustainable construction materials, and processes towards effective delivery of sustainable cities. Providing cutting edge insights into hot climate cities in Asia, this text is also pertinent for the study of cities in other world regions, notably in developing countries, and of broad relevance to sustainable urban planning in all contexts.