Article summary and reader response draft 1 - District heating and cooling systems
In the website "District heating and cooling
systems" (2013), ENGIE emphasizes its role in providing heating and
cooling systems worldwide and describes how its systems utilize renewable
energy to conserve the environment. The website also mentions that the renowned
urban climate control system company Tabreed, had concluded ENGIE as the
biggest supplier of urban cooling networks across the globe. The website states
that from 2018, ENGIE has strived to increase the use of renewable energy to
50% in European urban networks. With renewable energy, ENGIE heating and
cooling systems generate heat and chilled water and supply it to buildings
through a dispensing and a returning pipeline. The website also mentions that
the ENGIE heating and cooling system has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by
using biomass, geothermal, and marine thermal energy. And as compared to
conventional air conditioning, ENGIE adopts a free cooling system to reduce CO2
emissions, electricity, water, and energy consumption.
While I agree the use of renewable energy in district cooling contribute to environmental conservation, seawater air conditioning does
create adverse effects on the environment.
District cooling with seawater is a technology that is
making significant strides in aiding energy conservation. Due to its nature of
having a lower temperature, seawater is an ideal source for heat exchangers in
the cooling system. However, by adopting seawater for district cooling, heated
water from the building will be exchanged with seawater via a heat exchanger
and dispenses warm water back to the ocean. Thus, contributing to a higher
ocean temperature, which may not be adaptable for marine life. According to the
article "Keeping Chilled in a Warming World" by Hunt(2019), he
highlighted that the return of seawater to coastal ecosystems should be handled
with care to minimized impact on marine life. In addition, the article also
stated that the ocean air outlet might receive a thermal shock and increased
nutrients. Therefore, environmental contamination can be contributed by these
factors, posing a threat to the ocean environment.
Furthermore, utilizing metal and alloy pipes in seawater
district cooling are prone to corrosion. Due to the high concentration of
electrolytes in saltwater, electrons from the seawater attracts metallic ions. As
a result, the contact between metal ions and seawater leads to corrosion and
emits toxic substances such as sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere. A conference paper “Corrosion and Protection of Metal
in Seawater Desalination” by Hou, Gao, Cui, and Yin (2017), also highlighted that
the corrosion of metals and alloys in seawater could lead to environmental
pollution due to the potential leakage of toxic substances. Therefore, the use
of seawater for district cooling should be considered in light of its negative
impact on the environment.
Despite the negative impact created using renewable
energy in district cooling, it is undeniable that the system benefits are much
greater than the disadvantages. An example would be Singapore. As Singapore is one of the countries with hot climate, conventional air conditioning is heavily reliant on
buildings, resulting in global warming due to heat emissions. Therefore,
district cooling is used in Singapore to contribute to a sustainable
environment, as demonstrated in Marina Bay Sand. According to the SP Group
website, it states that their district cooling system in Marina Bay saves more
than 40% in energy consumption across 20 buildings in the vicinity. Energy
efficiency in Marina Bay is also further explained in the article “Below the surface
of Singapore lies the future of keeping cool” by McKenna(2020) that utilizing
centrifugal chillers with a large cooling capacity in Marina Bay allows the
chiller to produce six times the amount of energy than the norm. In addition,
SDC’s submission paper for the “Global Climate Award 2011” by Tey(2011)
mentioned that chilled water production in Marina Bay reduced approximately
23,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and 1.2 million cubic meters of water annually.
In conclusion, the use of renewable energy in district cooling systems does contribute to environmental conservation. However, a few negative impacts on the environment caused by the system may be overlooked when weighing the pros and cons.
Reference
ENGIE. (2013, February 21). District heating and cooling
systems. https://www.engie.com/en/businesses/district-heating-cooling-systems.
Hou, X. Y., Gao, L., Cui, Z. D., & Yin, J. H. (2017). Earth and Environmental Science 108 (2018). Corrosion and Protection of Metal in the Seawater Desalination, Tianjin, China. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/108/2/022037
McKenna, J. (2020, July 28). Below the surface of Singapore lies the future of keeping cool. Spectra. https://spectra.mhi.com/below-the-surface-of-singapore-lies-the-future-of-keeping-cool#district-cooling-%E2%80%93-a-secret-weapon-in-the-battle-against-climate-change
SPgroup. (n.d.). Cooling & Heating 'Marina Bay District
Cooling System'. https://www.spgroup.com.sg/sustainable-energy-solutions/our-low-carbon-solutions/cooling-and-heating
Tey, PK. (2011). District Cooling System at Marina Bay, Singapore[Unpublished manuscript]. Singapore District Cooling Pte Ltd. https://www.districtenergyaward.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/District_cooling_Singapore_2011.pdf
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