How Business Owners Can Earn Rebates by Replacing Their Evaporative Cooling Systems
The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) implemented a moratorium on the installation of new evaporative cooling systems in the Las Vegas Valley. The moratorium was put in place due to the on-going concerns about water conservation and the high water usage associated with evaporative cooling systems. Per the restriction, existing evaporative cooling systems are allowed to remain in operation, but the installation of replacement evaporative cooling systems with higher rates of water consumption within the SNWA's service area is prohibited.
SNWA is offering rebates and incentives to encourage residents and businesses to upgrade to more water-efficient cooling systems and appliances, such as air-cooled systems with higher SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings. There are HVAC system options with higher water and energy efficiency that building owners can consider.
Evaporative cooling systems work by taking energy in the form of heat out of the HVAC system and using that energy to evaporate water. This evaporated water and used up energy then escapes into the atmosphere. In desert environments like Las Vegas, evaporative cooling systems can consume billions of gallons of water per year and are one of the leading culprits of non-reclaimable water consumption. Air-cooled systems, which disperse the heat directly into the ambient air, do not rely on evaporating and losing water. Replacing evaporative cooling systems with air-cooled systems can help in the effort to save a substantial amount of water per year.
The SNWA moratorium on evaporative cooling is an important part of the larger conservation efforts to reduce water consumption in the Las Vegas Valley. To see if you qualify and to learn more about the program, you can visit SNWA’s website:
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