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Good Practice: High Efficiency Chiller, Phyathai Hospital, Thailand

Download the Good Practice Case Study (239 Kb PDF)

Setting

Country: Thailand
Location: Sriracha, Chonburi Province
Project start date: September, 2004
Project end date: January, 2005
Technology keywords: Building
Host sector: Hospital
Ref: SETatWork Good Practice #11

Objective of the Project

To save energy by replacing old chillers with high efficiency chillers and also to reduce maintenance cost.

Technical Summary

Phyathai hospital is located in Sriracha town, Chonburi province, about 120 km. east of Bangkok.

Energy audit was done at the hospital in 2003. Total energy consumption was about 4,195,000 kWh and cost about 10,884,000 Baht in 2003. Average electricity cost was 2.60 Baht/kWh. The hospital has 5 air-cooled reciprocating chillers (each 210 TR-ton of refrigeration) and they had been in operation for 10 years. Two chillers were in operation and 3 chillers could not operate properly. It was found that the existing air-cooled chillers have a very low efficiency in a range of 1.66-2.17 kW/TR. Efficiency of a new air-cooled chiller is about 1.1-1.18 kW/TR. The maintenance costs were also high, about 500,000 Baht/year/unit. From the energy audit report, the chillers consumed about 2.06 million kWh/year (operated 24 hours/day and 365 days/year) or about 5.63 million Baht/year or about 50% of total energy consumption. Figures A and B show the schematic diagram and a photo of the existing air-cooled chillers.

From the existing conditions, the hospital decided to replace the worn out chillers. The hospital's energy consultant, Innovation Technology Co., Ltd., proposed and compared 3 options for consideration. Those are:

First, replace with the same type of air-cooled chillers with an efficiency of 1.18 kW/TR;
Second, replace with water-cooled screw chiller with an efficiency of 0.65 kW/TR and;
Third, overhaul the existing 4 chillers.

From the study, replacement with water-cooled screw chiller gave a highest energy savings of 3.48 million Baht/year as compared with 2.41 and 1.49 million Baht for new air-cooled chillers and overhauling of the existing chillers, respectively.

The investment cost for water-cooled screw chillers was higher than other options because it required additional equipment such as cooling towers (to cool refrigerant at the condenser), water treatment system, etc. However, it gave a higher energy savings and quicker payback period than the other 2 options.

Power consumption of the new water-cooled screw chillers was about 0.65 kW/TR (at full load) or a reduction of 1.01 kW/TR (1.66-0.65). Energy consumption was expected to be about 840,470 kWh/year or about 60% reduction. Efficiency of the system was done by measuring chilled water flow rate (m³/hr.) with ultrasonic flow meter and power consumption (kW) with power meter. Then, the results were calculated to find kW/TR. For monthly monitoring, the hospital records energy consumption from kWh meters and compare with old records before the new chillers were installed.

See the Good Practice Case Study PDF file for further information

Environmental and Social Benefits

(Estimate of) Greenhouse Gases abated (in metric tons of CO₂-equivalent):
Annual: 621 ton CO₂/year (0.509 tCO₂/MWh-source: "Study on Electricity Sector Baselines in Thailand", ERM 2005), based on the saving of 1.22 million kWh/year or 1,220 MWh.
Up to and including 2012: 4,347 tCO₂-equivalent
Up to a period of 10 years: 6,210 tCO₂-equivalent
Up to a period of 15 years: 9,315 tCO₂-equivalent

Economic Data

Capital Costs: Total cost was about 8.0 million Baht (US$ 228,570). This included 5.0 million Baht (US$ 142,857) for chillers and 3.0 million Baht (US$ 85,714) for cooling towers, pumps, piping, civil work, consulting fee, etc.

Keywords

Contacts

THAILAND

Airco Ltd. (Trane Thailand)

CEERD - Centre for Energy Environment Resource Development

Innovation Technology Co., Ltd.