Mechanical Upgrade in Houston Improves Reliability & Efficiency

This facility in Houston had 3 distinct sections which were originally isolated buildings that at some point were joined together. Sections 1 and 2 were cooled by a chilled water system with chillers on top of the roof. The third section contained white space that was cooled by 4 air-cooled DX CRACs that were approaching end of life and had ongoing mechanical service issues and were inefficient. The client needed an upgrade to improve the reliability and efficiency of this equipment.

The client hired Enabled Energy to spec, design, and build a solution that was cost effective and improved efficiency while meeting the critical cooling requirements of the space. Enabled Energy took a creative approach and used the existing chilled water system serving sections 1 and 2 to serve new chilled water CRAHs in place of the old CRACs in the third section of the building, ensuring enough capacity was available for the added load while considering future growth plans.

The new CRAHs and all associated electrical and piping install, startup, and commissioning were completed successfully without any disruption to the existing chilled water system cooling the load in sections 1 and 2. Enabled Energy also worked with the local utility to administer and procure custom rebates for the project. In what would otherwise typically be a like-for-like replacement for end of life equipment, Enabled Energy provided a unique and custom solution to serve that purpose while also improving efficiency through equipment selection and taking advantage of available opportunities that the site conditions presented.

The proven relationship between the client and Enabled Energy gave the client enough confidence to break from their traditional procurement process (bidding all major projects out to 3 or more bidders) and sole-source the project to Enabled Energy for design and build. Enabled Energy handled the RFP on the clients behalf, bid all subcontracting work out to at least 3 bidders, compiled responses and provided transparent open-book pricing options along with response analysis and recommendations to best serve the client and ensure a cost-effective and quality result.

Enabled Energy, Inc. completed this project with TNG Mechanical during the Fall of 2019. The new Liebert CRAHS were provided by Vertiv. Niagara based controls were used for the AC units.