Public Content Library

Summary

Austin Energy operates a district cooling system serving the downtown Austin area. As of September 2015 it serves 42 customers, providing 29,608 contracted tons of cooling. In 2014 the Plant capacity provided was 12,000 peak cooling tons, and so far in 2015 it has been 13,000 tons. The system has a network of approximately 7.5 miles of underground piping, is served by two existing district cooling plants.  By fall of 2018, the system is anticipated to grow by 5 to 8 customers and 5,600 – 8,000 contracted tons of cooling, requiring the provision of additional cooling and pumping capacity.

To meet the additional capacity requirements, a narrow crescent shaped site was identified as the location for a new district cooling plant. The new cooling plant must meet complex technical requirements while overcoming several unique and challenging constraints imposed by the site, all while providing an interesting and attractive feature that appears integrated into the urban fabric of downtown.

Speakers

Carol Stewart, Austin Energy
Todd Schmitt, EEA Consulting Engineers