Cooling with environmental responsibility
May 1st 2008

Spiralling energy costs have put energy efficiency on the top of everybody's 'to do' list and has raised the question about the sustainability of traditional air conditioning systems. EcoCooling Evaporative cooling systems provide a simple, safe, and low cost alternative to cooling buildings at a fraction of the cost of air conditioning systems

Evaporative cooling costs 90% less to run than a traditional air conditioning. It works as part of a balanced ventilation system providing cool fresh air through a carefully designed ventilation system which directs the cooled air through the building to the areas where it is needed most whilst expelling the hot air through open doors or extract fans.

This simple form of cooling can provide 35kw of cooling from just 1kw of electricity and provide cooled air always below 24°C in the UK.

One cooler can cool an area of up to 200m2 or spot cool work stations or machinery. EcoCoolers have been used successfully in all types of industries from bakeries and warehouses to print works and offices. The inherently simple technology is complemented by a sophisticated control process which provides complete piece of mind when it comes to hygiene. In addition all EcoCooling installations can be connected to main BMS systems.

At 25% of the installation cost and just 10% of the running costs of air con, small to medium sized enterprises can also qualify for a 4 year interest free loan from the Carbon Trust because of the carbon savings incurred by using evaporative cooling instead of air conditioning. These loans are often large enough to cover the complete installation cost of the coolers.

EcoCooling products are supported by specialist contractors who can produce complete turnkey projects including design, installation and maintenance.

One company that has recently benefited from this expertise is Stylo shoes where 15 EcoCoolers were used to cool the main picking area on the top floor of their 3 floor distribution warehouse in Bradford.

Due to a large number of skylights and a single skin roof, the working conditions were oppressive during the summer.

Stylo wanted an energy efficient and effective solution to cool the area down. Having previously explored the options of air conditioning which had been dismissed out of hand purely on installation costs, Nigel Booth (Group Property Manager) asked EcoCooling to produce a proposal that would both cool the environment down and increase air quality.

After discussions through consultants and contractors and a complete assessment of running costs and annual servicing cost, 15 down discharge EcoCoolers and six extract fans were installed in May 2007. A basic control system ensures that the air input and extract systems work together and simple time clocks ensure that the system shut down at the end of each day.

The air is distributed down the main picking aisles and over the unpacking and dispatch zones.

Site facilities manager Keith Pemberton confirmed that conditions in the warehouse during summer 2007 had been "beautiful" and there were noticeable decreases in absenteeism and a better working atmosphere both literally and metaphorically since the completion of the installation.

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