Have you ever heard of deep lake water cooling? I just learned about it today. In an effort to minimize energy intensive air conditioning in the city of Toronto, the city is now turning to its lake water to obtain really cold water to cool its office and commercial buildings.
Back in 2003, energy company Enwave was asked from the city government to innovate an environmentally friendly solution that can help take some pressure off of the electricity system. Air conditioning from office buildings can be incredibly profligate in the summer months and highly energy intensive. The innovation is based off of a district cooling system which draws from deep cold water (83 meters) in Lake Ontario. This is efficiency and water optimization to its finest. The deep lake water flows into Toronto’s water system at 4 degrees Celsius. It is sent through heat exchangers before entering the city's drinking water supply, and energy is transferred between two systems- the city's and Enwave's.
The city obtains a portion of the water for drinking (once it is treated), and Enwave gets a portion as well. Enwave transfers the cold temperature from the city water to its chilled water system. So all in all, you have two systems drawing from the same source and ultimately there are two uses - Enwave's and the city's which are maintained through heat exchangers that facilitate the transfer of energy.
This naturally cold water provides an alternative to the conventional air conditioning that is produced by coal-fired power plants. It is really intelligent infrastructure because it reduces the total electricity used in air conditioning systems by over 85 percent. Moreover, it also serves as a pollution abatement technique minimizing pernicious chemicals and emissions like CFCs and carbon dioxide (somewhere in the range of 40,000 tons a year). This innovation will undoubtedly help alleviate some serious urban pollution issues we have been facing of late- namely smog and acid rain.
Key message: Smart infrastructural changes are indispensable for the future of cities.
For more info about this technology, click here.
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