Cooling load scale

Definition

The principle that as cooling demand grows, distributed air conditioning becomes impractical and centralized chilled water becomes the rational architecture.

Large facilities such as hospitals, data centers, semiconductor fabs, and refineries impose cooling as a structural requirement, not a comfort preference. Distributed rooftop units collapse under massive ductwork, fan energy, and maintenance burden. A practical rule of thumb places the transition near the Costco-sized building class of about 150,000 square feet, where centralized chilled water starts to make sense.

Related concepts

Chiller · Chilled water loop · Tons of refrigeration

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🛠️ operations