As prominent evaporative cooling advocates, we’ve passionately endorsed the benefits of this climate control system. It’s simple to use, based on simple mechanical parts, and designed to work without harmful chemicals. But rhetorical statements only take us so far. Real world results, concrete examples are called for now, which leads us on to practical systems and their practical results.
Reinventing Evaporative Cooling
The old image of the so-called “swamp cooler” sitting in a backwoods housing estate no longer applies to modern evaporative technology. Newer models embrace loftier ideals and improved engineering standards. They’re the energy efficient headliners in factories, warehouses, greenhouses and luxury homes. They’re compact and portable or part of a building’s complex infrastructure, distributing air through ducts or via convection currents to large a floor space. Health-centric and environmentally friendly, their cooling aptitude is second to none. In fact, evaporative cooling units are known to cut electrical energy consumption by three-quarters (www.abs.gov.au), which is a dramatic reduction in used energy when compared with refrigerated solutions. Humidity and water consumption figures have a direct influence on this energy reduction feature, but it’s still impossible to argue against such canny savings.
The Essence of Energy Efficiency
The core of the system, as it has always been since ancient times, is a moistened water pad. Again, this part of the mechanism has been covered again-and-again in previous articles, but the decision to underline the principle has merit here because it underscores the electrical and chemical-free nature of the principle. All that’s needed is a wet sponge or pad-like medium. Energy, therefore, is only expended when getting the water to the pads and in getting the soaked water into the local environment. A pump supplies the water and an energy efficient fan turns fan blades, leaving the rest of the process to heat exchange physics. The only other energy expenditure, at least in the form of electricity, comes from a tiny flow of current that controls the display and electronics of the system.
In order to take full advantage of this practical energy reduction solution, certain key operational variables need to be considered. Calculating the volume of space in the building helps, but some units will happily work outdoors. Another key energy saving factor, one some users have been caught out by, is the water supply. This valuable resource costs hard cash in some locations or is included in the utility bill, but, either way, it should feature as one of the variables in the energy efficiency calculations.