Keeping the Medical School cool
This summer the Medical School is set to benefit from a new £190,000 rooftop cooling unit, enabling more efficient cooling that’s less carbon intensive.
Currently the Medical School’s comfort cooling is provided by a chilled water system, most of which is served by the original steam absorption chillers located near the Medical School stores. These chillers cool water to 6°C at fairly low efficiencies, so the unit cost of delivered chilled water and associated carbon emissions are quite high.
To address this, the Estate Office is installing a high-efficiency cooling unit on the roof of the Medical School to chill water to meet approximately 25% of the building’s chilled water demand. The new chiller is electrically powered and utilises high-efficiency compressors, with magnetic bearings, and inverter-driven motors to minimise energy input. These measures, along with improved chiller controls, are expected to reduce energy bills by around £45,000 per year, saving 140 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – equivalent to driving around 426,000 miles in a medium car.
The project is due to start on site in mid-April with completion by the end of May - ready for the start of the main cooling season