Harness the natural power of evaporative air cooling

For the services, retail and hospitality sector, customer experience can influence buying habits at every touchpoint. It’s the reason why companies invest so much time and money into creating seamless interactions and impressive store displays, but despite this, many commercial spaces remain hot and uncomfortable.

What raises the temperature inside a commercial building?

• Warm weather

• High footfall

• Doors opening and closing

• Intense activity inside the building

• Machinery, equipment and cooking facilities
  

Why air-conditioning isn’t always the best solution

Closed environments, such as offices, generally rely on traditional air-conditioning to keep their premises cool. However, buildings that are open to the public often have a number of environmental variables to contend with.

Because air-conditioning (AC) units require a sealed environment to operate at maximum efficiency, they are unsuitable for buildings with open outside areas and frequent visitors. Furthermore, air-conditioning uses an enormous amount of energy to cool large spaces with high ceilings, such as indoor shopping centres. On top of expensive energy bills, there is also the cost and disruption of installing a complex system that reaches every part of the building.

Instead of using energy-intensive mechanical cooling, evaporative air-cooling units rely on the natural power of evaporation, making them ideal for bringing a fresh breeze to large rooms or open environments. Some of the locations already benefiting from evaporative air cooling include:

• Retail and shopping centres
  A comfortable environment increases the likelihood of customers making a purchase and helps them associate a positive experience with the shops and services operating inside the complex.
  
  With wide-open access and a constant influx of shoppers, evaporative air coolers provide retail centres with relief from the heat while allowing for free air circulation.

• Garden centres
  A well as the comfort of customers and staff, garden centres have the health and wellbeing of plants to consider. This requires adequate ventilation as well as specific humidity levels in both inside and outside areas.
  
  AC units can prevent plants from absorbing the moisture they need in the air, causing a reduction in quality as well as lifespan. Instead, evaporative cooling uses water vapour to provide fresh, cool air. This helps to keep humidity at comfortable levels for both plants and people.

• Vehicle dealerships
  Generally split into showroom and workshop areas, the different sections of a vehicle dealership each require their own optimised environment; showrooms often include spotlighting and large windows, which both contribute to the build-up of heat in the space, whereas workshops need constant ventilation to remove noxious gases generated by petrol and paint solvents.
  
  As they are not restricted to specific parameters, evaporative air-cooling units can bring a cold fresh airflow to every part of the building while filtering contaminants in the atmosphere at the same time.

• Restaurant kitchens
  Stoves, ovens and demanding working conditions mean that kitchens accumulate large amounts of heat exceptionally quickly. As working hours are particularly intense at specific times of the day (i.e. lunch and dinner) reactive climate control is essential.
  
  Because of the fumes, odours and other pollutants generated by cooking, ventilation is just as important. Even in the most extreme environments, evaporative air coolers are able to regulate temperatures while ensuring sufficient ventilation.

How evaporative air cooling works

As water evaporates, particles with the highest energy leave the moisture first, leading to a drop in temperature. Evaporative cooling systems take advantage of this natural process to cool down a space.

1. A fan draws hot dry air across cooler pads which absorb water from a reservoir.

2. When the hot air crosses the cooler pads, the water molecules on the surface evaporate and lower the air temperature inside the system.

3. This fresh air is circulated around a building, forcing hot stale air outside.

For more on the power of evaporative spot cooling and finding the best solution for your building or commercial space, fill out the form below to get in touch with our team.