For those interested in energy-efficient buildings, chilled beam technology is rapidly gaining the attention here in the U.S. that it has long enjoyed elsewhere around the globe. As effective as these systems may be, however, their successful use is contingent upon a balancing act of various factors, the primary one being leak-free ductwork.
Chilled beam systems have been successfully used for decades throughout Australia and central Europe. It is chilled beam technology that is behind the success of 30 The Bond, the first building in Australia to achieve a five-star Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (ABGR) — equivalent to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold. It is also being used successfully at London’s Heathrow Airport; the Barclaycard building in Northampton, England; and the Airbus U.K. building, among others.