Colombia. The energy company, Celsia, belonging to Grupo Argos, announced the construction of its first thermal district project in the country, more precisely in Montería (Córdoba), in the Nuestro Montería Shopping Center.
This district is already in operation and cools the 34 thousand m2 of the shopping center, its 157 premises and the 10 thousand m2 that correspond to common areas, with a novel air conditioning system, which through a process of cogeneration from natural gas and solar energy cools the water that is distributed throughout the shopping center to the various units in charge of delivering the cold air to the common areas or to each of the commercial establishments.
The 'Nuestro Montería Thermal District', which complements the supply of electrical energy and replaces the traditional air conditioning system, will reduce the energy consumption of end users, going from a consumption in its internal units of 1.3 kW for each ton of cooling capacity to approximately 0.25 kW; that is, in terms of energy efficiency, it will allow savings in electricity consumption for tenants and end users close to 80%.
The project includes an absorption chiller with a capacity of 400 tons of cooling. Two electric chillers with a capacity of 505 tons of cooling. Self-generation of energy through microturbine and solar panels.
Lucas Builes, leader of Thermal Districts in Celsia, announced that the cooling system in addition to representing lower energy consumption compared to conventional air conditioners, also has other benefits for the shopping center, tenants or owners of the premises and customers:
- It is Celsia that makes the investment and is responsible for the operation, inspection, maintenance and repairs that take place during the time agreed with the shopping center.
- The installation costs that must be carried out by the owners of the premises are very low, the adaptations are simple and the useful life is greater compared to the traction systems of air conditioning.
- End users can enjoy a comfortable temperature, and the system also controls the levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide that are harmful to health; that is, they will breathe quality air. The above, because the thermal district allows the renewal of the air inside, injecting fresh air from the outside constantly.
For his part, Luis Felipe Vélez, Commercial Leader of Celsia, said that "this is a new product with which celsia continues to innovate and expand the portfolio for our customers, and more importantly, with which we become allies of companies, which no longer have to allocate important resources from their production or commercial processes to these aspects in which we become allies of companies, which no longer have to allocate important resources from their production or commercial processes to these aspects in which Celsia is an expert, and they also ignore the management of these assets."
Source: Celsia.
