Desiccant Dehumidification Process For Energy Efficient Air Conditioning

Energy consumption for HVAC accounts for approximately half of total energy use in residential and commercial buildings.(1 )While most energy for thermal comfort is related to heating loads (generally supplied by heating oil or gas), a significant portion is related to cooling loads (generally supplied by electric power). Peak electricity use in buildings often occurs during summer due to air conditioning.(2) A simple psychrometric analysis of weather data for southeast Michigan shows that nearly 40% of cooling energy is related to latent energy. Effectively managing latent energy loads through desiccant dehumidification can be an important part of reducing loads on electric air conditioners and improving building efficiency.