Urban cold network (production and storage of cold)

More than for an isolated building, to ensure a competitive investment combining operating flexibility and economy, energy efficiency, longevity and expandability, the design of chilled water production for a district cooling network (DCN) calls for numerous parameters such as :

• knowledge of future users, their requirements and load profiles;

• analysis of energy costs by source;

• the choice between one or more central refrigeration units...

Each case needs to be studied in depth, because every situation is unique, and the variety of technical solutions encountered and described in this article shows that we mustn't try to generalize hastily.

The addition of storage is a further means of rational energy management. Its sizing and the choice of technique for the best complementarity with production is also the result of a detailed case-by-case study.

This article, one of a series of three on the subject of RFUs, describes the various means of cold production and cold storage technologies, detailing design, techniques, performance, maintenance and investment costs. The environmental impact of chilled water production is also detailed.