Cooling 2.0

Until recently, cooling systems were avoided as much as possible in sustainable construction in northwestern Europe, but even here summers are now getting very hot. This makes it difficult to guarantee comfort in summer with only with passive measures.

One challenge when installing cooling systems is to limit the amount of refrigerant. Additionally, it is important to take into account any related environmental or safety risks. 

However, in several cases the amount of refrigerant can be restricted by central cold production and distribution through indirect (hydronic) cooling systems. This also allows us to efficiently incorporate sustainable cooling sources and combine heating and cooling functions in distribution and delivery systems. For example, in surface systems, climate beams, ventilos, ... The flexibility of those hydronic systems allows us to reduce costs or create additional value for certain techniques.

There are also some specific unanswered questions around collective systems, such as:

• Simultaneity of cooling demand when sizing a multi-zone building
• Optimal hybrid generation,
• Alternatives in terms of distribution system (2-pipe, 3-pipe, 4-pipe)
• Combination with heating

There is a need for knowledge around cooling in collective buildings, and by extension in energy networks. There is currently a lack of sound guidelines for the correct selection and sizing of cooling systems in buildings. This is an urgent matter, as both cooling and heating technicians will have to  to expand or combine their knowledge to provide a sustainable solution to the increasing demand for cooling in buildings. 

Goal

Within this project, we are developing a code of good practice for cooling in buildings based on hydronic systems.

• With attention to the selection of systems
• With attention to dimensioning of delivery
•  With attention to dimensioning of production & distribution taking into account simultaneity

Aspects that will also be addressed: flexibility, the combination heating/cooling, comparison between active, passive and hybrid systems, retrofitting of a heating system, ...