In 2022, the energy-efficient revolution continues as companies attempt to meet new energy standards and prioritize green initiatives. “Good” just doesn’t cut it anymore when it comes to preserving our water, waste, and energy – especially in industrial fields.
Heating and cooling demands for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes contribute to a large share of the total energy demand in the United States (and globally). We’re talking about hundreds of billions of kWhs used annually.
This brings us to our topic of the day: the growing demand for energy-efficient cooling solutions, including cooling towers.
Cooling towers are used in many fields to supply cool water to different industrial processes. When properly maintained and installed, these cooling towers can greatly reduce operating costs and energy consumption.
How Cooling Towers Are Energy-Efficient
It’s easy for organizations to focus on the many other ways in which they consume energy – lighting, water use, machinery, etc. However, cooling towers play a much more extensive role in energy consumption than most might guess.
Cooling towers evaporate water to transfer heat from the process or building, which allows them to provide cool air for air conditioning, manufacturing processes, or even power generation. As a result, they use a substantial amount of energy – as much as nearly 8,000 kWh per seasonal operation.
A cooling tower’s relationship with the chiller has a substantial (if indirect) effect on energy savings. The efficiency of the chiller improves when the more efficient cooling tower can provide colder condensing water, saving money and energy as a result.
However, not all cooling towers are equally as efficient. Older towers tend to be less efficient and can use as much as five times the energy as a newer, updated cooling tower. Therefore, it is possible to “go green” with a cooling tower, but only if it’s relatively new, properly installed, and well-maintained.
Because cooling towers use water to cool rather than air, it’s estimated that they could be thousands of times more effective than other cooling solutions. Additionally, owners of new cooling towers can opt for more environmentally friendly cooling options such as:
- Using fewer chemicals
- Installing drift eliminators
- Recycling used water
- Installing a variable-frequency drive (VFD)
- Performing internal electrical/mechanical upgrades
Generally, it’s estimated that cooling towers can help industrial sites reap energy savings of up to 80% and annual water savings of 22%. Still, facilities do need to keep up with the latest technology and cooling tower upgrades to take advantage of such substantial savings.
Cooling Towers in the Field of Electricity Generation
Cooling towers don’t just help facilities minimize electricity consumption – they can actually play a role in generating power.
Many U.S. power plants don’t have a large nearby water resource to use when depositing the hot water produced during power generation. They need a close water system, and a large cooling tower can help them transfer heat from the water back into the air, removing the need for a body of water and preventing the process from harming surrounding wildlife.
Because high-efficiency water cooling towers rely on “evaporative” cooling processes, they simply emit hot mist into the air and waste far less water and energy than many other cooling methods.
Furthermore, cooling towers are also used to help keep turbine blades spinning at all times. Considering that wind energy is needed to produce hundreds of billions of kWhs per year, we expect to see the demand for energy-efficient cooling towers continue to grow.
By 2027, the global cooling towers market is forecasted to reach a value of US$ 4,354.9 Mn. North America, in particular, is expected to witness significant growth, largely due to the rising growth of petroleum and oil and gas sectors in the region.
This brings us to our next point: the industries providing this increased demand for energy-efficient cooling towers.
Industries That Are Switching to Cooling Water Systems
Dozens of different industries are already using cooling towers. Primarily, we see cooling towers used for industrial purposes in:
- Power generation
- Chemical manufacturing plants
- Primary metals processing plants
- Pharmaceutical facilities
- Glass manufacturing plants
- Petroleum refineries
- Rubber product plants
- Tobacco product manufacturing facilities
- Textile production plants
In each of these industries, cooling tower energy efficiency can play a significant role in improving overall system efficiency. As more facilities and organizations realize that, we see increasing numbers of industries switching to more energy-efficient cooling equipment and upgraded tower systems.
For example, the global pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk installed new cooling towers to their existing system. Now, it’s estimated they have saved more than five million kWh, thanks to their improved cooling tower efficiency.
Although cooling tower installation and upgrade services can be expensive, the long-term savings are substantial – especially in the industries listed above. As the market expands, we expect to see continuing measurements on water flow, conductivity, and energy savings related to energy-efficient cooling tower systems.
To Wrap It All Up
It seems like every day we hear a new plan for optimizing energy use and preventing waste, both here in the United States and across the globe. The 21st century requires cooling methods that use less energy and avoid waste, and as a result, we’re also seeing a rise in the cooling tower market.
In more technical terms, we also expect to see cooling towers take new approaches to energy compressor designs, motor speeds, and variable speed drive technologies. If these towers can become more efficient, then modern expectations will drive them to do so.
About Pinnacle CTS
At Pinnacle CTS, we’re always looking for ways to help facilities become more efficient with improved cooling solutions, as well as cooling tower maintenance and upgrades. Every industry can do better when it comes to consuming energy and protecting the environment, and we’re happy to be a part of this energy-efficiency cooling movement.
Our team serves cities throughout New Jersey, as well as the NYC area. As a mechanical contracting company, we specialize in the preventative maintenance, installation, repair, and upgrades of all makes and models of cooling towers. Tell us what you need and we’ll help your facility make the necessary changes.
Contact us
If you have questions on how to improve cooling tower efficiency, reach out. We have factory-trained mechanics and technicians on-call, ready to talk about the various elements of eco-friendly cooling. Call 732-570-9392 or send us a message online.
