Abstract
In Hong Kong, it is usually thought that the use of an economiser is not beneficial. Comparative studies on outdoor air conditions in urban, suburban and rural areas show that use of economisers in suburban areas is feasible. The potential for use of economisers in suburban and rural areas is significantly higher than that in urban areas, and might be higher than that claimed on the basis of Hong Kong weather data reported by the Hong Kong Observatory. An in-situ monitoring exercise on an enthalpy-based economiser in a building shows that over 40% reduction in refrigeration load is achieved in the entire winter period (over 10% in a year) in a suburban area. The use of partial and total free cooling does not cause humidity problem but improves the indoor air quality.
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