Hybrid electric/steam chiller plant gives Terps home court advantage
The Comcast Center, University of Maryland’s $125 million basketball arena, has completed its first year of service to Terrapin athletic programs. Among the arena’s many innovative design features is a 2,100-tons of refrigerant (tr) chiller plant with one electric drive centrifugal chiller and one steam turbine drive centrifugal chiller, each using R-134a refrigerant, both supplied by York.
“The ability to use electricity or steam gives me the flexibility I need to manage energy costs. Having occupied the building last September, we are beginning to understand the real load profile. I can change the operating parameters of my chillers based on my real energy costs,” said John I. Vucci, assistant director for HVAC systems, in the university’s facilities management division.