ECF Engineering Consultants is the engineer of record for the HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing systems of this new 20,000 SF Class A Office Facility. Read more to learn about what we're implementing.
The HVAC design by our Building Services team is a chilled water ice thermal storage system with variable air volume on the air side. This system was chosen to utilize the benefits of off peak rates when satisfying building HVAC needs.
How Do Chillers Work?
Chillers transfer heat away from a space that requires climate control much like a traditional split system or package unit does, but they use water (or a water solution) to do so instead of air. There are two types of chillers: water-cooled and air-cooled. They work similarly throughout most of the process until the refrigerant reaches the condenser, and both are outlined in the following sections.
What is ECF implementing?
Ice storage air conditioning is the process of using ice for thermal energy storage. The process can reduce energy used for cooling during times of peak electrical demand. Alternative power sources such as solar can also use the technology to store energy for later use. This is practical because of water's large heat of fusion (amount of energy required to convert one mole of solid into liquid).
More about chiller systems: