District Cooling for the Big City

One of the world’s most modern district cooling networks is operated by the eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG in Chemnitz. The requisite cooling energy is provided by absorption chillers and thermal energy storage systems.

Short-term large cold storage facility on Georgstrasse in Chemnitz (Source: eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG, Chemnitz)

From the central unit, cool water with a temperature of five degrees Celsius flows through the city via a well-insulated pipeline system. The system cools office buildings, shopping centers, the university, and other public facilities and reabsorbs the heat in these premises. The water, which is thus heated to about twelve degrees Celsius, flows back into the cooling system, and then the cycle starts all over again. All told, the company supplies about 400,000 household and commercial clients in South Saxony with natural gas, electricity, heat, cooling energy, and water.

eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG, Chemnitz