Times of India
Summary
A recent Times of India feature highlights Cornell University’s Lake Source Cooling (LSC) system, which has been providing district cooling to the Ithaca campus since 2000. The system was developed as Cornell sought to replace aging conventional chillers and eliminate ozone-depleting CFC refrigerants.
Instead of relying primarily on mechanical refrigeration, Cornell draws 39°F water from about 250 feet below Cayuga Lake, roughly two miles offshore. The lake water passes through heat exchangers that cool a separate closed-loop chilled-water system serving Cornell and Ithaca High School; the lake water and campus water never mix.
The results are substantial: Cornell says Lake Source Cooling reduces cooling energy use by about 85% and saves more than 29 million kWh annually compared with its previous cooling methods. Today, approximately 98% of cooling on the Ithaca campus is renewable and refrigerant-free, with thermal storage and conventional chillers available for peak demand and backup.
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