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Project Details

Project Description

Elmhurst University underwent a major modernization of its aged campus central heating and cooling plant. The university partnered with a team of industry experts, including AMS Industries, Inc as their design/builder, Momentum, Cyclone Energy, and Trane Technologies, to complete this project. The project included the removal of the 50+ year old central steam heating plant and the installation of decentralized multi-heat exchanger modular boilers with control system enhancement, in place of the steam-to-hot-water converters in each building on campus.

Additionally, the existing central cooling plant, which included four aging screw chillers and very old wooden cooling towers, were demolished to create space for future educational or student housing needs. In its place, a new cooling plant was constructed within the former central heating plant building, featuring three 600-ton Trane variable speed R-514a centrifugal chillers, variable speed pumping, variable speed cooling towers and enhanced/optimized controls. This new system provides added capacity for the university’s current needs and makes provisions for an additional chiller as their cooling needs grow.

Throughout the project, all new systems were professionally commissioned, and the campus operating staff were fully trained on the operation and maintenance. Notably, the entire project was executed without interruption to normal campus operations, and the university now enjoys a more robust heating and cooling system, significantly enhanced energy efficiency, and more reliable cost-effective operations.

The successful outcome of this project has garnered the attention of industry experts and earned Elmhurst University the ASHRAE Illinois Chapter’s Excellence in Engineering Technology award. The university’s commitment to innovation and excellence, coupled with the expertise of the project team, has resulted in a modern, efficient, and reliable heating and cooling system that will serve the university for years to come.