Built in 1975, the 800,000-square-foot McCormack Building was originally designed with a steam absorption chiller system consisting of two 600-ton, single-stage, steam absorption chillers. Steam was purchased to drive the chillers and provide space heat and domestic hot water to the building.
As part of an energy-saving program in the mid-1980s, the steam absorption system was replaced with three 450-ton electric centrifugal chillers. Unfortunately, there was not enough electricity available, so just two of the three chillers actually went on-line, providing 900 tons of cooling capacity to the building. Since that time, the demands on the building's electrical system have continued to increase significantly.