Why Choose Hydronic Cooling?
Chilled-water cooling systems typically contain far less refrigerant than direct expansion (DX) or variable refrigerant flow (VRF) cooling systems. This is important for several reasons. First, a leak in a VRF system could mean the loss of many pounds of refrigerant. A VRF system is expensive, but it is also undesirable from the standpoint of releasing gases that contribute to climate change.
Second, the type of refrigerants used in current generation VRF systems may not be the same as those used in the future. There is no guarantee that a currently installed VRF system will be compatible with future refrigerants or oils, and incompatibility could require a significant changeout in equipment. However, any future chiller will remain consistent with a hydronic based distribution system.
Third, water-based systems allow for thermal storage, which is not feasible with systems that distribute thermal energy using refrigerant. Finally, water-based systems are adaptable to low power technology such as radiant cooling, chilled beams, and direct lake source cooling.
Chilled-water cooling is adaptable to thermal storage where preferential time-of-use electrical rates or ambient temperatures make this approach feasible. An air-to-water heat pump can be programmed to operate during the most favourable outdoor conditions: typically, during the daytime for heating and at night for cooling.
