Duquesne
TRANE HELPS MAKE A UNIVERSITY’S ENERGY CENTER MAKE SENSE
TRANE HELPS DUQUESNE TAKE A NEW APPROACH TO A CAMPUS ENERGY CENTER
Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA is a school with a national reputation for innovation both in instructional methods and educational systems. So when they discovered they had aging chillers in dispersed locations around campus that were using CFC refrigerant, they decided it was time for a change. And not just for their HVAC system either. Duquesne decided to create a campus “Energy Center” that would completely update its climate control systems and provide most of its electric power as well. To add to the challenge, Duquesne planned to pay for the energy center with savings over previous energy budgets, so, in effect, the Energy Center literally had to pay for itself.
For the new Energy Center to operate efficiently enough to generate enough savings to justify it, smart choices had to be made. The University hired Pittsburgh-based Noresco, an Equitable Resource Company, to build, maintain and operate the new power plant. Noresco immediately started looking for the right elements in the system. Mark Johnson, project manager from Noresco, said, “We were very selective about the design and type of equipment installed. We [would] have to live with the consequences.” This is where Trane comes in. For the Energy Center’s chillers, Noresco selected two 750-ton and one 1050-ton TRANE Horizon two-stage steam absorption chillers. These two-stage steam absorption chillers fit well working with the exhaust steam produced by the existing five-megawatt gas turbine which produces 95% of the campus electric needs. And of course, they offered top-of-the-line efficiency to help meet cost-savings goals.
The Trane chillers offered other advantages that the University was quick to realize. They featured the latest microprocessor controls, anti-crystallization logic and variable speed refrigerant pumps for maximum efficiency and turndown capability down to 10 percent of capacity. This lets the University closely match cooling loads on a seasonal or even a daily basis. Steve Aulzen from the Trane Pittsburgh office notes why the Horizon was a perfect fit for the new Energy Center, “This is an advanced chiller for an advanced application. The reliability and close controllability are important to the University and Noresco.” The three Trane chillers became a vital part of the Energy Center which, when finished, took the place of ten other mechanical rooms, and exceeded expectations. According to the University’s Facilities Director, Gust Flizanes, “The project has been very successful…for this type of arrangement you need the right circumstances. Everything needs to fit.” At Trane we strive to provide designs that will fit any application, even applications that haven’t been invented yet.
Noresco Equitable Resource Company, Pittsburgh
Trane
Two 750-ton TRANE Horizon two-stage steam absorption chillers
One 1050-ton TRANE Horizon two-stage steam absorption chiller
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