district cooling
Coverage of district cooling in the Nexus archive.
- Is district cooling the solution we need for extreme heat in cities?
District cooling systems, which use networks of chilled water pipes, have demonstrated efficiency in cooling hospitals and universities. These systems are now expanding into cities in response to increasing heatwaves in the US and Europe.
- How Paris is using the Seine to try to keep cool in scorching heat
Paris uses a 75-mile district cooling network operated by Fraicheur de Paris to chill water from the Seine and supply air conditioning to buildings, reducing electricity use and emissions by 50% compared to standalone systems. The system faces strain during Europe's current heatwave, which has caused closures at landmarks like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower and disrupted transport and agriculture.
- Forget air-con, Singapore looks underground for a cooler future
Singapore is implementing a 5km underground district cooling system in Punggol to reduce energy consumption, leveraging a 140-year-old concept that uses less electricity than traditional air conditioners. The system addresses the city-state's energy importation challenges and rising temperatures, which are increasing twice as fast as the global average.