The 20-storey Consplant Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is used very differently during the day and night. Office space is primarily used during the daytime, shopping malls into the early evenings and restaurants into the night. This mixed use of the building, however, challenges the energy efficiency of the cooling system.

A high level of cooling is typically required during the day in most parts of the building, whereas only limited space needs cooling at night. The challenge was to reduce the energy costs for cooling at night while still providing a nice, cool environment for guests in the tower’s restaurant. The solution was Pressure Independent Balancing and Control Valves (PIBCV) from Danfoss.

By equipping the system with 200 pressure-independent AB-QM valves, steady and reliable cooling in response to actual cooling demands was assured at all times. Furthermore, the cooling solution has been changed from constant air volume to variable air volume so that the flow of air can automatically be adjusted to requirements within the building at different times.

Besides energy savings of 67% and a pay-back time of only two years, the new valves have made the air conditioning system much simpler. Time and manpower are saved because tedious balancing procedures are no longer necessary.