HVAC—How it Works Now
People are most comfortable, healthy, and productive in a building environment where the temperature is around 72°F (23°C) and humidity is kept to 50%—the "comfort zone." Conventional climate control solutions achieve this by chilling the air far below the comfort zone to condense out the water, and then re-heating the air to return it to the comfort zone. This roundabout process is extremely energy intensive: in warm, humid climates, as much of 80% of the total electrical energy used to run the AC system is expended for dehumidification.
A Better Way
What makes liquid desiccants a better choice? Desiccants allow the system to remove the moisture before the cooling process, eliminating the need to overcool and reheat. And, desiccants provide a low-energy way to remove the water. Low-flow liquid desiccants improve upon the more conventional solid desiccant wheels in several key ways, including the elimination of desiccant carryover. Liquid desiccant (LDAC) units are more compact, easier to maintain, run cooler, and can employ a variety of heat sources for the critical regeneration stage.
Sonoma Cool's Aqueous product line employs a non-toxic concentrated low-flow liquid desiccant to dry fresh air before it enters an HVAC system. This highly efficient system design achieves an industry-leading COP of 1.15.
How it Works
Sonoma Cool's Aqueous system provides innovative liquid desiccant technology to commercial applications. Each system includes …
The Conditioner, which employs concentrated liquid desiccant (plus cold water) to dry fresh air before it's sent to the HVAC system.
The Regenerator, which uses low-grade heat to return the diluted desiccant (from the conditioner) back to its concentrated state.
The Heat Exchangers improve the overall efficiency of the unit.