COOLING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE COMMONS: ENERGY-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF NEIGHBOURHOOD-SCALE COOLING SYSTEM IN THE TROPICS

摘要

The results are more favourable for the common cooling systems than anticipated: The paybackperiods are below 10 years, considering only energy cost savings. Despite purchasing moreexpensive equipment and requiring major building works, the shared cooling systems areeconomically viable in a relatively short timeframe. It helps that we compare to some of theworst possible cooling systems with regard to operational efficiency.Other factors – such as better spatial quality and thus increased activities, a more attractiveneighbourhood, more footfall and thus additional business opportunities – will contribute tovalue increase of the real estate and will render the neighbourhood scale options economicallyviable in much shorter time frames. The upgrade in the backlanes will render the wholeneighbourhood more attractive, key from a real estate perspective.The implementation of these systems is not simple, not only because of the backlane as ancontested urban space with existing services and infrastructures but also because of thefragmented nature of ownership and tenancy of the neighbourhood. However, they also promiseinteresting emerging business models for energy service providers of the future.