Ensuring employees have a work environment that is cool, healthy and comfortable is one of the objectives of every business owner, as they are aware of the importance of protecting the health of their employees.
It is well known that in a workspace where the temperature is constantly controlled, the psychophysical well-being of personnel improves and, consequently, the company's productivity also increases.
The solutions available on the market for summer climate control of industrial facilities, warehouses, hangars and so on are numerous, but can be grouped into two main categories: evaporative cooling and refrigeration cycle air conditioning.
Before exploring the main differences between a cooling system and an air conditioning system, let us better understand what adiabatic cooling means and what air conditioning with refrigerant gas means instead.
Evaporative cooling: what is it?
Evaporative cooling is a natural and highly efficient technology that lowers the temperature of environments by exploiting the evaporation of water, which acts as a natural refrigerant. For this reason, it represents one of the most widely used solutions for cooling industrial facilities, logistics warehouses, livestock facilities, railway workshops, hangars and large production environments.
Individual units draw in hot air from outside, which, thanks to the action of a fan, passes through water-soaked honeycomb panels, to which it inevitably transfers part of its heat, lowering by as much as 5°C.
The air is then filtered, cooled and introduced into the work environment at more comfortable temperatures.
Thanks to this principle, the adiabatic cooling system can easily be used with doors and windows open, improving its performance and ensuring a continuous air exchange useful for reducing the spread of viruses and bacteria within work areas, as well as eliminating odors and dust resulting from production processes.
If you would like more information on the operation and benefits of evaporative cooling, you may find this article interesting:
Evaporative cooling: what it is and how it works
A natural and sustainable principle that allows you to cool the air in medium to large environments for fatigue-proof workplaces!
How does an air conditioning system work instead?
The air conditioner, for its operation, is based instead on the cooling action of a refrigerant gas contained in a closed circuit and circulated through the use of a pump.
The air is therefore cooled by coming into contact with a coil through which refrigerant gas flows.
In this way, the perceived air is certainly colder than that cooled by water, but at the same time loses much of its natural humidity, thus becoming drier.
For proper operation and optimal performance, as we know, this type of system must operate in an environment where doors and windows remain closed: this results in a lack of air circulation and a consequent increase in the spread of pathogens or substances that can affect employee health.
The main differences between adiabatic cooling and refrigeration cycle air conditioning
Now that we have understood what distinguishes an evaporative cooler from an air conditioning system in terms of operation, let us explore more deeply the main differences in terms of comfort and energy savings.
CO2 emissions and environmental sustainability
The evaporative cooling system produces reduced CO2 emissions: thanks to the use of the principle of water evaporation, carbon dioxide emissions are practically almost zero, compared to those produced instead by an air conditioning system.
The latter, in fact, expels a high percentage of CO2 emissions into the external environment, caused by the constant use of refrigerant gas for its operation.
In this sense, adiabatic cooling represents the most sustainable solution and environmentally conscious for summer climate control of medium to large work environments.
Influence of external climate
Adiabatic cooling is influenced by the external climate: the amount of cooling produced varies depending on climatic conditions, nevertheless, the fundamental aspect to consider is that the energy consumption for effective operation remains unchanged.
Based on what has been said in the previous lines, we can state that an evaporative cooling system is ideal in climates that are primarily hot and dry.
The advantage of a traditional air conditioner is that it is not influenced by the external climate, which is why it is effective in any climate.
As climatic conditions vary, in fact, its performance remains constant throughout the day. However, as the external temperature rises, the consumption of electrical energy used for its operation increases.
Air exchange
As we mentioned earlier, with an evaporative cooling system the air is fresher and above all cleaner, as constant air exchange can be carried out thanks to the possibility of keeping doors and windows open during working hours. This allows employees to feel much less fatigue and tiredness, consequently improving their concentration and productivity.
On the other hand, with an air conditioning system, air exchanges are minimal, as doors and windows must remain closed in order not to affect its proper operation.
In doing so, the air inside the work environment tends to become heavier and stale, favoring the spread of viruses, bacteria, dust and odors.
Personnel, consequently, may more easily experience tiredness and fatigue and be more prone to illness, also due to the strong temperature difference that tends to occur between the interior of industrial facilities and the exterior during the summer period.
Humidity
Adiabatic cooling allows air to pass through water-rich panels, which enriches the air with the right percentage of humidity, making the environment fresher and healthier, ensuring the psychophysical well-being of employees and eliminating heat stress within factories, industrial facilities and warehouses.
With an air conditioning system, on the other hand, the humidity present in the air tends to be removed, making it drier, often causing a sensation of throat dryness.
Maintenance
A further advantage of evaporative cooling is represented by maintenance.
This type of system does not require constant maintenance, but simply two interventions per year: one preferably with the arrival of the summer season and therefore with the first start-up and one at the end of the season, before winter shutdown.
An air conditioner, on the other hand, requires periodic maintenance to check the state of the refrigerant gas and the cleanliness of the filters, to prevent dirt and bacteria from accumulating inside them.
Choose an effective and sustainable system that allows you to create a healthy and comfortable work environment for your employees but at the same time helps you save electrical energy.
Conclusion
Evaporative coolers and traditional air conditioners meet completely different needs. Evaporative cooling focuses on efficiency, air exchange and sustainability: an ideal solution for naturally cooling facilities, logistics warehouses and production plants and all environments. Air conditioning guarantees precise temperature control, but with high energy consumption and significant operating costs.
Do you want to understand which system best suits your industrial context? Discover how the evaporative coolers in our range work and evaluate with us the most efficient solution for your company. Contact us for personalized consultation: we analyze your environment, identify your needs and propose the most effective solution to improve comfort, air quality and energy consumption.
