District cooling
Other
Summary
District cooling can replace distributed cooling systems, resulting in up to 50 percent lower energy and emissions impact. These cooling systems move chilled water to buildings without contributing to the urban heat island effect like mechanical cooling.
Implementation
Evaluate district cooling and opportunities to build and incorporate it in civic infrastructure. Identify possibilities to incorporate district cooling when existing cooling systems need to be replaced or repaired.
Considerations for Use
There are many trade-offs associated with district cooling. Benefits include lower energy consumption, shifting cooling loads, increased reliability, and reduced capital costs in building development. District cooling requires high upfront capital costs to build the infrastructure and it must be implemented in high-density or new construction zones to be financially feasible.
Overview
Climate:
Cold, Hot/Dry, Hot/Humid, TemperatePolicy Levers:
OtherTrigger Points:
Evaluating or initiating major city infrastructure projectsIncludes projects such as city transit, street or utilities construction / re-construction etc.Intervention Types:
Buildings and Built FormSectors:
Buildings, Public Works
Case Studies
Impact
Target Beneficiaries:
Property owners, ResidentsPhase of Impact:
Risk reduction and mitigationMetrics:
Energy savings
Implementation
Intervention Scale:
City, DistrictAuthority and Governance:
City governmentImplementation Timeline:
Long-term (10+ Years)Implementation Stakeholders:
City government, IndustryFunding Sources:
Public investmentCapacity to Act:
HighBenefits
Cost-Benefit:
HighPublic Good:
MediumGHG Reduction:
HighCo-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
Reduce greenhouse gas emissionsCo-benefits (Social/Economic):
Save on utilities