Low-charge, packaged, ammonia chillers provide a natural refrigerant option for the chiller market facingpressure to reduce the global warming impact of their systems. However, to make the most significant impactinitially and for the life of the system, ammonia chillers must be able to deliver premium efficiency to assurethe lowest indirect impact to the environment. Ammonia’s availability is not at risk of becoming scarce likehydrofluorocarbon (HFC) synthetic refrigerants; however, energy codes are always becoming more stringentand the most advantageous systems will stand the test of time from a chemical perspective and from aperformance perspective. This paper looks at the life cycle costs of air-cooled, low-charge packaged ammoniachillers as compared to market alternatives. Ownership costs will be studied as they derive from capital costs,running costs, and costs for refrigerant, maintenance, and useful lifespan. Other factors will be explored suchas design considerations, refrigerant availability, and facility operational impacts.
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