Water production from air conditioning systems: Some evaluations about a sustainable use of resources

An increase in water consumption sustainability can be achieved by means of a smart use of condensed water coming from HVAC system chillers. In the current paper, a preliminary study regarding an integrated HVAC system is presented, which combines air conditioning and water extraction from air. Its design was particularly focused on the optimization between the two said effects, also taking energy efficiency into account. The system behaviour is analysed, taking into account real climatic conditions and in particular those of the Arab Emirates coast. The study of the suitable climatic conditions for this application are outlined. Preliminary calculations show that the water extracted from air, by condensation, can support up to almost half of the needs of the case of study represented by a modern hotel.