Cooling is vital to our modern way of life. It keeps us comfortable as well as provides crucial temperature control for essential infrastructures like data centres and pharmaceutical manufacturing. However, cooling technologies also have an impact on the climate. According to the World Green Building Council, 28% of global CO2 emissions come from heating, cooling and lighting in buildings. For example, Singapore’s buildings account for more than 20% of the country’s carbon emissions.
With the increase in construction comes a higher demand for a better and greener cooling solution. In the next 30 years, the demand for cooling is expected to triple. It’s crucial that building owners prioritize a smart and sustainable cooling solution, and this is when Cooling as a Service (CaaS) comes in handy.
What is Cooling as a Service?
CaaS, or Cooling as a Service, is a new way for building owners to get cooling inside their buildings without having to buy, install, and maintain the cooling equipment themselves. This is a servitization business model that helps building owners to have more efficient and environmentally friendly cooling as well as reduce operational costs.
With this model, the user no longer has to experience the difficulties of upfront investment or performance risk. Instead, the CaaS provider will bear those responsibilities. The service provider will also select the ideal cooling system that helps the sustainability goal. This type of service also allows for the reallocation of equipment as needed to conserve resources which building owners love. Essentially, all you have to do as a building owner is tell the CaaS provider what temperature you wish to achieve and then pay for the cooling on a pay-as-you use basis. Done and done!
How Cooling as a Service drives sustainability
Boosting sustainability is key in today’s world, and CaaS does just that. Using big data, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), CaaS employs advanced technology to make the most of a cooling system’s efficiency. Real-time monitoring and control eliminate energy wastage while creating optimal indoor experiences that adapt to changing conditions through the usage of data and AI. That is hard to achieve with traditional cooling systems, such as district cooling, because it only prioritizes hardware use.
The cooling system employed by CaaS also makes it possible to use solar power and recycled water. CaaS providers can employ an AI-powered chilled water system that uses 100% solar energy to provide cooling for retail centers, factories, offices, educational buildings, and community places.
Besides a solar-powered cooling system, CaaS providers could also employ a water-cooled chiller plant system for building owners. That kind of system could help building operators achieve their sustainability goals.
How CaaS compares to district cooling systems
Traditional building cooling solutions like district cooling systems are expensive. Building owners must take care of the purchase, installation, and running of the system. They also need to engage various contractors for repairs or maintenance.
Because many contractors are typically involved, and each is only accountable for specific equipment, none of them can be completely responsible for the system’s performance. In addition, improvement measures to make the cooling system more efficient or sustainable are often less of a priority because they tend to be costly.
Why CaaS will bring a more sustainable cooling
Cooling makes up 10% of global electricity at the moment. In South East Asia, it is projected to demand 30% of ASEAN’s peak electricity by 2040. Building owners must focus on clean and efficient cooling methods now more than ever to avoid an absurd increase in electricity consumption and prevent a climate disaster.
CaaS is set to change how cooling is delivered, making it possible for building owners to enjoy clean and innovative cooling solutions in a sustainable way that helps individuals, businesses, and the planet.
