Environment Design Guide - CAS 54 District Cooling Case Study--James Cook University, Townsville

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CAS 54

District Cooling Case Study–James Cook University, Townsville

Craig McClintock

James Cook University is building the largest central energy chilled water plant, incorporating stratified chilled water storage, in Australia. The plant will provide the cooling requirements of all of the 28 academic buildings within their Townsville campus. After completion in April 2009, the project will reduce electrical demand and thus operating costs, greenhouse gas emissions, maintenance and transport costs, and the resultant plant will have a projected economic life of 30 years. By these chillers being able to operate at night time, when off–peak electrical tariffs are cheaper, beyond the environmental considerations of avoiding peak-load periods, it is estimated that the University will be able to save $990,000 per annum in electricity alone.

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Keywords: Central Energy Plant, (CEP), chilled water, dynamic control system, maximum demand, Thermal Energy Storage, TES