The Low Delta T Syndrome is an issue plaguing most District Cooling providers, and experts in the GCC region remain committed towards identifying areas of improvement to help address the problem.

Raef Hammoudeh, Director, MEP Engineering, KEO Design, said the value of proper engineering design cannot be overestimated. “The flow on the District Cooling side must be equal to the flow on the building side,” he said. “The problem on the District Cooling side is the Low Delta T. The flow temperature on the supply side of the building is important, the pump control is important. Pump control in the building should be integrated with the District Cooling provider. The best way to achieve control of chilled water is to have VFD pumps linked to differential pressures.”

The issue of design is echoed by Kandasamy Anbalagan, Managing Partner, Proleed Engineering Consultants, who notes that attention must be given towards ensuring that the design reflects the right capacity. Another solution he recommends is the installation of pressure independent control valves (PICVs), which he cites as one of the trends blowing through the industry.