GIFT City to have India’s first public district cooling system

GIFT City to have India’s first public district cooling system
DCS distributes thermal energy in the form of chilled water from a central source to multiple buildings spread over multiple locations through a distribution network of pre-insulated pipes run through utility corridors for use in air-conditioned space
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City or GIFT City will have country’s first public district cooling system (DCS). DCS is a highly energy efficient system that provides air-conditioning in various zones of the city. DCS cools multiple users through underground piping network applying environmentally friendly energy sources like central chilling plant.
DCS has fundamental cost and space saving advantages with energy efficiency, including load diversity, optimised operations, advanced technologies and better staff economies. It adds on extra floor space and enhances aesthetic sense of the buildings. It reduces capital investment required for additional power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Explaining the choice of DCS for cooling the entire city, Ramakant Jha, Managing Director, GIFT City said, “Among various technologies available worldwide for utility services such as power, water, solid waste collection & management system, cooling system etc; the most appropriate system was to be selected on the basis of efficiency, operating and maintaining cost and environment friendliness.”
Mr. Jha added, “GIFT DCS is designed to run 24×7, providing the most reliable cooling technology available.  GIFT district cooling uses environment friendly refrigerant which will have significant reduction in CO2 emissions, thus enabling building owners to achieve advantage towards green building ratings.”
It is proposed to have a DCS for air-conditioning requirements of the entire city. Basically, DCS distributes thermal energy in the form of chilled water from a central source to multiple buildings spread over multiple locations through a distribution network of pre-insulated pipes run through utility corridors for use in air-conditioned space.
GIFT city will have diversified load as different types of buildings (i.e. residential, commercial, retail, convention, etc) will use energy under different operating conditions and set peak demands at different times of day. Serving this variety of loads allows the district cooling plant to operate at optimal output over a longer time period.
DCS is a proven technology considering the mix use development comprising of commercial, residential and social sectors with a fundamental idea of district energy – simple but powerful.
The design of DCS plant in GIFT City would have highest safety and quality standards enabling the district cooling project to be at par with international benchmarked DCS projects. It will open a new era for cooling in urban spaces in Indian market.
DCS will be implemented in a phased manner; current DCS plant will cater demand up to 10,000 TR (with 10,000 TRH of thermal storage facility). The work is allotted to a Dubai-based company ETA Engineering and they have started the implementation on ground which will be completed by the end of 2013.
Few salient features of DCS projectDiversityGIFT DCS will be designed by aggregating the thermal requirements of different buildings and install industrial grade equipment, utilising its maximum potential which would otherwise economically or technically not feasible for individual building.Economies of scaleIt will have capital savings from avoided investment in building equipment; reduced labour and maintenance expenses due to simplified operating systems; lower costs for water, chemicals, fuel (refrigerants), insurance and higher operating efficiencies due to scale and better load matching with increase in floor space of building.
Reduced electricity demandThe system will consume 65 per cent to 80 per cent of energy as compared to conventional air conditioning.
Service reliabilityDistrict cooling will operate 24 X 7 with a service availability factor of 99.99 per cent of the time on an annual basis.
Economic user charge (pay what you use)GIFT district cooling customer will have the advantage of contracting for the optimum contract cooling capacity from district cooling service.

 Customers’ benefits• Less operating costs for system owners• Ease of use and simplified building operations • Easy payment option – “pay for what you use”• Noise, vibration and structural born sounds are removed to the remote place• Only a heat exchanger at the building site instead of a complete cooling system• Saving electrical connection cost due to reduced electrical load• Eliminates the need for building owner to buy, service or maintain cooling equipments• Environmental friendly with less emission of harmful gases.

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