Cold Seawater Air Conditioning would work off the coast from Puerto Plata, according to a new studied funded by the French Development Agency. SWAC systems are already working in Honolulu, Aruba and Curacao.
The new technology makes use of available deep seawater to replace energy-intensive central refrigeration systems that cool chilled water to provide air conditioning. There is an initial system installation cost, but afterwards, the cost of running A/C is very low. Makai Ocean Engineering, a company that is spearheading the technology worldwide, has carried out a study in the Dominican Republic that found that Puerto Plata has a competitive edge over Punta Cana, where the technology would not work.
The Hawaii-based firm has identified eight sites in the Caribbean where the technology could be implemented n Puerto Plata, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Santo Domingo, Las Americas International Airport, Basse Terre and Fort de France.
As reported in Diario Libre, Puerto Plata was ranked first because the required depths are 4.5 km off the coast meaning less investment in piping. The system would also work off the Bahia de Neyba and the Laguna de Oviedo in the southwest.
Makai estimates the cost of installing the system in Puerto Plata at US$68.5 million and US$100 million in Montego Bay. The savings for hotels and condominiums in the area would be around US$15 million and the investment would be recovered in four and a half years.
http://www.diariolibre.com/ecos/2014/11/24/i896631_man-turstico-para-puerto-plataa.html