Case Study Taj-Holiday Village – Goa – India
Taj Holiday Village in Goa, India, part of the Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), chose Elgressy’s chemical-free EST system as a pilot in the IFC TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation (TE-SCI) program. The program pilots energy-efficient, climate-smart cooling technologies in IHCL hotels, with independent measurement and verification by Environmental Design Solutions (EDS).
The result in short
With EST commissioned in July 2022, the cooling towers were set to run at 7 cycles of concentration instead of 3, without treatment chemicals, and the water moved from slightly corrosive to balanced.
The cooling plant
- 400 TR centrifugal chiller with twin 200 TR compressors
- 2 cooling towers of 500 TR each
- 3 condenser pumps of 22 kW, 3 primary pumps of 10 kW, 4 secondary pumps of 15 kW
- Building Management System and energy metering on each part of the plant
Before: chemicals at 3 cycles
A water test on 9 July 2022 showed the cooling tower running at only 3 cycles of concentration, with a Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) of -0.83, meaning slightly corrosive water. This was maintained with four chemical products, including biocide tablets. The make-up water itself was very soft, with an LSI of -2.15.
Commissioning on 11 and 12 July 2022
An EST 12-1-7 unit was commissioned by Gaby Elgressy, CEO of Elgressy Engineering Services, together with the hotel’s engineering team, IFC and EDS. Elgressy also gave the O&M team hands-on training.
| Parameter | Before (9 July) | With EST |
|---|---|---|
| Cycles of concentration | 3 | 5.1 on day one, then set to 7 |
| LSI of circulating water | -0.83 (slightly corrosive) | 0.01 on day one, target 0.5 at pH 8.2 |
| Treatment chemicals | 4 products | none |
| Circulation rate | 258 m³/h, ΔT 2.27 °C | |
| Make-up water at 7 cycles | 1.46 m³/h, with EST blowdown of 160 L/h | |
Running at 7 instead of 3 cycles means far less water has to be drained to keep the water in balance, so both make-up water and discharge go down.
Measurement and verification
EDS agreed a full M&V plan with the hotel, IFC and Elgressy: a baseline from January to June 2022 and a reporting period from August 2022 to July 2023, tracking chemical use, make-up water, blowdown, water quality, chiller kW/TR, cooling tower approach and operating costs.
Download the EDS site visit report (PDF) →
How EST works: Elgressy EST treats a side stream of the cooling water by controlled electrolysis. Calcium hardness precipitates as solid scale inside the EST reactors and is removed, instead of depositing on chiller condensers, heat exchangers and pipes. Oxidizing species formed at the anode help control algae and biofilm, so no anti-scalants or corrosion inhibitors are needed. Read more about Elgressy EST.
Related
- Case study: Barranquilla Airport, Colombia
- Cycles of concentration and LEED water credits
- All our installations in Southeast Asia
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Water Treatment Asia (Aerial Lift Asia Co., Ltd.) has been the exclusive Elgressy distributor in Southeast Asia since 2010. Contact us for a free water analysis, a savings estimate and a visit to one of our reference sites.
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