Cooling tower conversion nets school 3-month payback

Journal Article · Mon May 13 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Energy User News; (United States)

OSTI ID:5570947

Poplett, J

Converting the cooling tower at the University of California at Irvine to enable it to produce cool water for chilling when cooling loads are light paid back the $150,000 investment in three months. The school expects to save about 12% of its $2 million annual gas bill during the first full year of operation. The conversion replaces a 1.750-ton gas-fired centrifugal chiller for five months of the year. The school installed independent water piping to the cooling tower to bypass existing heat exchangers, and developed a water treatment system. The arid climate of the west coast is well suited to this type of conversion in which the cooling tower cools by evaporation. The school's underground chilled water distribution system acts as a thermal storage medium.

• OSTI ID: 5570947
• Journal Information: Energy User News; (United States), Journal Name: Energy User News; (United States) Vol. 10:19; ISSN EUSND
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320103* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- School
Municipal
& Other Public Buildings-- (-1987)
CALIFORNIA
COOLING
COOLING SYSTEMS
COOLING TOWERS
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EVAPORATIVE COOLING
FEDERAL REGION IX
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
NORTH AMERICA
PAYBACK PERIOD
RETROFITTING
TOWERS
USA