Energy Efficiency Analyses of Air-Conditioning Systems in Commercial Buildings in Egypt

Abstract

Many buildings around the world utilize HVAC systems to provide the thermal comfort conditions for the occupants and users of these buildings as well as providing adequate conditions for special environmentally sensitive equipment. The appropriate air conditioning system design would necessarily provide the comfort and hygiene conditions with as low as possible initial capital and operating costs. The present study provides comprehensive analyses and comparisons between the water-cooled vs. air-cooled chillers with packaged water-cooled DX unit systems under the local Egyptian climatic conditions, primary water and energy prices and legistilations. The present study presents a comparison among the various systems according to the equipment and installation, operating, and maintenance costs. Based on the above analyses and the data collected with the prevailing prices, energy, water and maintenance costs at January 2003 in Egypt. It is apparent that water-cooled packaged units are of superior performance in terms of energy consumption and initial costs.