Telecoms company 186k Ltd has awarded a multi-million pound contract to Lattice Energy Services in partnership with Brotherhood Aircogen. The partners are to provide ‘secure, cost effective energy’ to new ‘telehouses’ – data and telecommunications switching centres – at Hemel Hempstead and Bristol in the UK.
Based on Aircogen Nimbus CHP equipment, close-coupled to absorption chillers, these systems are claimed to set new standards of energy efficiency and reliability. Telehouse equipment requires electrical energy and air conditioning (cooling) in broadly equal measure. This is normally provided at poor overall energy efficiency because of the high energy cost of electric air conditioning.
The combined cooling and power (CCP) system being installed for 186k eliminates the majority of the air conditioning power needs, reducing the overall energy demand by around 22 per cent. The ratio of cooling and power produced by CCP very closely matches the site requirements. In addition the use of this system secures a number of tax advantages including Climate Change Levy exemption and enhanced capital allowances. Together with the avoided cost of standby generation these provide significantly lower lifetime costs for the installed system.
