ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF DISTRICT COOLING SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

As Singapore embraced the implementation of the largest underground District Cooling System (DCS) at Marina Bay Business District, DCS has gained a greater reputation as a modern cooling system that is widely adopted in tropical cities with high cooling demand. Although many research studies have attempted to address the concerns over its feasibility and energy performance, there is still a lack of local studies with Singapore context. Moreover, only a few research studies have been conducted on an existing DCS and the challenges and constraints on its distribution network.

Hence, this study aims to examine the performance of an existing DCS that serves a district in a tertiary institution using singular case study approach. Indicators related to the energy efficiency and measurements of parameters related to cooling sources such as temperature and flow rate are discussed. Furthermore, the investigation on an existing system and its operation will enhance the understanding of DCS and its design. The main focus of the analysis is on the chilled water distribution and the problem of ‘Low Delta-T syndrome’ which is commonly found in DCS.

In addition to the performance study, quantitative analysis was conducted to validate the relationship between temperature differential and efficiency of the system. The results obtained from this study is used to suggest possible energy conservation opportunities that can be adopted for future application of DCS.