UN’s cooling system offers blueprint for beating heat without harming the planet
Using an ancient but energy-efficient system, a pump deep inside the UN headquarters draws massive volumes of water from the East River to help chill the building. Energy experts suggest this type of water-based system as a viable substitute for air conditioning as more and more people want to remain cool on a globe that is gradually warming. However, they are frequently difficult to set up.
During a tour of the cooling equipment, lead building engineer Michael Martini told AFP that the system has been a feature of the New York complex since it opened in the 1950s. The system, which was renovated along with the rest of the complex between 2008 and 2014, uses less energy than a traditional air conditioning system to chill the UN center. Reducing the air temperature to around 24 degrees Celsius, or 75 degrees Fahrenheit, is UN policy.
The river that runs beside the UN headquarters in New York is really a salt water estuary, and it stays significantly cooler throughout the summer than the surrounding air, which may get as hot as 100 degrees. Hence, less energy is used to chill the structure.
Fiber glass pipes carry up to 26,000 liters (7,000 gallons) of water per minute to the complex’s cooling plant, which generates cold using the water and a refrigerant gas. According to David Lindsay, the leader of the cooling system, the system contains two separate loops to prevent contamination of the water that returns to the river at a higher temperature. There are other UN buildings that rely on water besides the New York headquarters.
Water from Lake Geneva is used in the cooling system of Geneva’s Palais de Nations. Additionally, the ten UN organizations housed in Copenhagen’s UN City complex rely on cold saltwater, which almost eliminates the need for power to chill the space. Compared to the anticipated two billion air conditioners deployed worldwide, this is a substantial benefit.
The International Energy Agency, which advocates for more efficient systems, claims that energy usage for cooling has already quadrupled since 1990 as a result of the rise in air conditioners to assist those who are more exposed to harmful temperatures.
These include water-based systems, such as the UN building in New York, geothermal systems, and electricity-based centralized air conditioning networks. Under the auspices of the United Nations, the latter system “has not been deployed as much as it should be for the issues we face today,” according to Lily Riahi, coordinator of Cool Coalition, a coalition of governments, towns, and businesses.
Some large institutions, such as the United Nations or Cornell University in New York State, which uses water from Lake Cayuga, have been able to manage such systems independently. However, Riahi stated that these systems often need a great deal of cooperation between many players.
