  Effective management of cooling tower systems requires thorough disinfection.
While traditional chemical water treatment methods are currently the most
prominent strategy, they are costly and yield limited results when relied upon
as the sole approach. Cross-flow microsand filtration systems offer a promising
alternative with the added benefit of potentially increasing evaporative
cooling efficiency, thus saving energy. A comprehensive data-driven analysis
over two cooling seasons evaluated the energetic performance of a system
equipped with and without an operating filter. For similar environmental
conditions, the coefficient of performance was on average 18% higher and was
higher 63% of the time when the filter was operating, indicating superior heat
transfer efficiency and significant energy savings. It was also 41% higher
during periods of high cooling demand. Consequently, the filter and the system
work more efficiently at high wet-bulb temperature and thermal load. Machine
learning modeling suggested that operating the filter year-round could save
between 5% and 13% of the energy bill, primarily during the cooling season.
Continuous filter operation is essential as it mitigates biofouling,
underscoring its long-term significance, even during periods of lower thermal
loads. Integrating filtration systems into cooling tower management therefore
fosters sustainable practices by decreasing energy consumption and biofouling.
