International. Driven by energy demand and the growing number of environmentally committed organizations, the global market for district heating and cooling systems is expected to reach US$754 billion by 2032.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, when an energy district becomes a single source of heat or cooling for multiple buildings, the primary energy demand for these items is reduced by 50%. In addition, these districts can achieve operational efficiency of up to 90%.
In large part, these results are made possible by flow technologies designed by manufacturers such as Armstrong Fluid Technology.
"As the demand for district energy systems continues to grow around the world, the opportunities for innovative HVAC-R fluid flow systems and solutions will also continue to grow," said Tony Furst, executive at Armstrong Fluid Technology.
Technological efficiency
Today, Intelligent Fluid Management Systems (iFMS) can already integrate pumping and control technology into a single solution, which can save 30% or more compared to other parallel pumping configurations. Likewise, energy savings can exceed 70% compared to a constant speed system.
Modern variable speed controllers integrate with the building's BMS systems to provide better modulation and staging of pumps, while serving up to 16 zones.
Armstrong was recently involved in two municipal district heating projects in Europe, which contributed to estimated energy savings of 70% and 45% respectively. Both projects used the technology described above.
Rambervillers District Heating Village
With a population of 20,000, this French town captured steam from a nearby waste-to-energy plant and turned it into hot water for homes and businesses.
In turn, Armstrong installed a Design Wrap intelligent fluid management system that integrates pumps and controls with an integrated pumping system. Together, these technologies reduce pump energy consumption by 30% or more compared to standard pump sequencing systems.
Sarrebourg district heating system
Also located in France, the municipality of Sarrebourg wanted to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by creating a wood-based hot water district heating system for nearly 3,000 residential and commercial buildings.
Using a 5 MW biomass boiler as a heat source, the new system will prevent the emission of more than 123,000 tonnes of CO over the next 20 years. By supporting the project with Design Envelope solutions, Armstrong contributed to the overall energy savings, reducing the pump's energy use by 70% compared to an alternative constant-speed system of similar size.
Enwave Chicago
Enwave Chicago currently operates the world's largest interconnected district cooling system, with 45 million square feet of space in more than 100 buildings in downtown Chicago. Using thermal energy storage from Lake Michigan water, the system reduced its peak electrical demand by 30 MW, resulting in significant energy cost savings. Armstrong supports the efficiency of the Enwave Chicago system with a host of Design Envelope pumps.
