CHICAGO, IL — The Hartford Office Plaza has recently undergone a chiller plant makeover. Designed to provide energy source flexibility, enhanced tenant comfort, reduced operating costs, and a capacity to accommodate the unique hvac requirements of its tenants, the replacement chiller plant takes advantage of existing permits using the Chicago River for condenser cooling, utilizing two Trane centrifugal chillers and a single-stage absorption chiller.

Chiller plant centralization required steam, condenser water, and chilled water lines to be routed to the new chillers with new electric power. Steam to the Trane single-stage absorption machine is delivered at 12 psig from gas boilers. The electric service to the centrifugal machines is at 480V.

According to Lincoln Property’s (Hartford Office Plaza building manager) general building manager Tim Incerto, one goal of the project was to be able to match building cooling load economically at a wide range of levels.

“Our new system gives a lot of flexibility,” he said. “Some days you only need one of the machines.”

Inerto also said that the new combination chiller plant “improves our negotiating position with energy suppliers. We have a more attractive load profile to both the gas and electric suppliers.”

Publication date: 10/08/2001