Case Study: Lessons Learned From Converting Electric Chillers to Steam Chillers in a Electric Deregulated Market.

Abstract

This paper will examine an example of converting two electric centrifugal chillers, which needed to be replaced, to use steam turbine driven centrifugal chillers at a large commercial office building consisting of approximately 700,000 square feet in Center City Philadelphia. The existing 2,000 ton plant was replaced by 2,400 tons of cooling, in the 1997 time frame along with new cooling towers, and the required auxiliaries for the new plant. The paper will look at the impact of steam cooling on the facility's electric load profile both prior to the conversion, as well as after the conversion. This is of particular interest due to the fact that Pennsylvania is deregulated for electric service. One of the benefits in deciding to do the conversion was that a flatter load profile due to steam cooling should allow better electric pricing from energy suppliers.