Cooling & dehumidifying indoor environments using the chilled water wall

China's environmental challenges, especially air pollution and climate strains do not just force the general public to take protective measures, but also obligate investors and planners to come up with smart office solutions, providing a clean, thermally comfortable and attractive office design. In hot and humid climate zones, which represent a large share of China's economically prosperous areas, itis a challenge to meet the demand for comfortable and healthy indoor conditions, particularly due to high thermal loads and moisture-related problems. Moreover, the necessity of dehumidification is not only a comfort issue, it also affects the tenants' health. Various microbes such as bacteria, virus, mold, fungi, and mites proliferate when humidity is either too low or too high. Therefore, a humidity range of 30 to 50% RH (relative humidity) of indoor air should be achieved in order to avoid health issues. Furthermore, high pollutant and air cleaning nowadays is omnipresent in many offices and family homes in China. However, the cleaning effect of conventional air-handling units is limited and the continuous recirculation of indoor air can be contra productive. Effective solutions are still missing. One air-conditioning system, developed by the Fraunhofer-Institute for Building Physics IBP, might however have a chance to overcome some of the current problems and constraints. The invention of the so-called Chilled Water Wall (CWW) was registered a few years back and has now been tested, validated and manufactured in Germany. It combines the advantages of radiant cooling systems with effective indoor air dehumidification in a single system. Both indoor spaces and individual zones are conditioned without users experiencing negative effects such as draught or noise. Additionally, the limiting factors of conventional radiant cooling systems are largely avoided.