Innovative Polymers Pte Ltd (IP) commissioned the Environmental & Water Technology Centre of Innovation (EWTCOI) to evaluate the performance of the DeCaIon™ (DCI) system when integrated into cooling towers with respect to the energy efficiency of the chiller plant, energy savings and water savings.
DCI is a novel electro-chemical water treatment process developed and patented by IP. DCI is intended to replace both the blowdown and chemical dosing cycles of typical cooling towers as an eco-friendly and chemical-free alternative. IP installed the DCI system at Keppel Bay Towers (KBT) located at 1 Harbourfront Avenue, Singapore, as part of the BCA-Keppel Land Joint Challenge call for test-bedding of sustainable solutions. The Measurement and Verification (M&V) plan for this evaluation is based on the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP Volume I – 2014), which is a widely accepted international standard for determining savings from energy conservation measures (ECMs).
Baseline and post-retrofit data was collected from the Chiller Plant Building Management System (BMS) at KBT along with manual meter readings over a 6-month period. While some issues with the condenser water pumps were experienced, eventually these were resolved. Data models produced were found to be statistically valid and met the IPMVP requirements.
