Chillers remove heat from culture water or hall air when temperature would otherwise rise above the species comfort zone. Demand is high in warm climates, in tightly insulated RAS halls with high internal heat load, and for cold-preferring species such as Arctic char.
When cooling is needed
- Summer peaks in land-based systems.
- High pump power, lighting and biofilter aeration that heat the water.
- Species with a narrow temperature window (e.g. Arctic char, some salmon production).
- Hatcheries and fry where stable cool temperature is required.
Design and operating notes
- Calculate heat load (fish, pumps, air, building) — do not just guess “one chiller”.
- Consider free cooling, groundwater or seasonal storage before full mechanical cooling.
- Redundancy: chiller failure on a hot day can become an acute welfare risk.
- Maintain condensers and heat exchangers — fouling cuts efficiency quickly.
Cooling is energy-intensive. Minimise internal heat (pump efficiency, insulation, ventilation) before sizing chillers. See heat pumps, temperature and energy under CAPEX/OPEX.
See also