Lab buildings are intensive users of energy. The air conditioning requirements are much higher than for other buildings of comparable size. This study evaluates energy efficient systems in the central plant of a laboratory building. Thermal storage options as well as gas-fired air conditioning are compared to a conventional design. In this study, the optimal system is a load-leveling ice storage system with high efficiency centrifugal chilling, called TCHDL. The construction cost, when utility incentives are accounted for, is $72,000 less than the conventional system’s cost of $9,900,000. The annual utility cost for the TCHIO alternate is $584,000 as compared to $605,000 for the conventional system. The conclusion of this study is that load- leveling ice storage with centrifugal chilling is the preferred system in this case.

Units: Dual