Satellite Facility
Western Maryland
CHALLENGE
A local facility in western Maryland connects people, businesses, and communities worldwide and is the largest provider of satellite capacity to the U.S. government. This vital operation requires 100% reliable cooling in its facility. In addition to this critical mission, the organization is committed to protecting the environment and reducing its carbon footprint.
The facility houses 50+ antennas supporting two satellites. The aging HVAC equipment required improved reliability, so a solution was necessary to meet its operational and sustainability goals.
SOLUTION
The facility replaced its existing chillers with three highly energy-efficient Trane Ascend™ ACRB 165-ton chillers. These chillers are designed specifically for facilities with demanding requirements, such as the telecommunications hub. They include AdaptiSpeed™ technology, ensuring peak efficiency under all operating conditions. All the condenser fans have variable-speed permanent magnet motors for lower noise. The Boland team added variable-frequency drives and modified the chiller sequences to optimize the energy consumption of the plant.
RESULT
Boland’s energy team discovered an opportunity for the building to apply for Pepco’s utility incentive program, which is part of the EmPower Maryland initiative aimed at promoting energy efficiency and conservation. Due to the energy efficiency of the new cooling solution, the incentive program covered 48% of the project costs. By installing and optimizing the new chillers, they are now saving:
5% reduction in annual energy costs
6% kWh annually
299.4 metric tons of CO2 per year