ChallengeThe James McVean College Center, one of Jefferson

Community College’s eight permanent buildings, houses

offices, space for music instruction, a dance studio, dining

facilities, a fitness center, the 478-seat Sturtz Theater, and a

large multipurpose gymnasium, used for athletics and other

events, such as the college’s graduation ceremonies. While a

perfect venue for a variety of college activities, the aging

McVean Center was in need of serious renovation. Originally

built without air conditioning, a combination of direct

expansion split systems and window air-conditioning units

had been installed in portions of the building over many

years. The college wanted to centralize cooling to improve

efficiency and increase comfort for its students, faculty and

guests, all on a limited budget.

SolutionJefferson Community College consulted with its engineer

regarding the needed upgrades. While the college wished to

increase its cooling capacity by more than fifty tons, adding

electrical capacity would require a substantial, and costly,

utility upgrade that could jeopardize project approval. One

way to add cooling without extra power: increase system

efficiency. In addition, the engineer did not want to place an

undue burden on a reduced facility staff. A water-cooled

system would require water treatment and additional

equipment to be maintained, while an air-cooled system

Jefferson Community CollegeIce-enhanced air-cooled chiller plant manages peak demand, eliminates need forelectrical upgrades • Watertown, New York

The mission of Jefferson Community College is to advance the quality of life of its students and the community through excellence inteaching, innovative services, and community partnerships. Along with its credit-bearing programs, the college offers a variety of workshops,seminars, and cultural events including theatre, lectures and art exhibitions, and provides personal, academic and vocational counselingservices for both students and the community. The college’s service area is largely rural, with the US Army 10th Mountain Division at nearbyFort Drum, and agriculture and tourism the dominant industries. Spurred by a high unemployment rate, enrollment at Jefferson CommunityCollege has grown nearly 30 percent over the last seven years, as area residents retrain to expand their employment opportunities.

might not be efficient enough. The engineer suggested a

chilled-water plant with ice storage and requested

competitive bids.

Trane proposed the EarthWise™ Ice-Enhanced Air-Cooled

Chiller Plant. Based on previous experience with Trane, both

the college and the engineer knew they could rely on Trane

as a single source for professional consultation, systems and

services. The engineer was also thrilled with the simplicity of

the system design. Trane was selected to partner with the

college and the engineer on the upgrade.

Jefferson Community College sought to upgrade the decentralized

air-conditioning in its James McVean Center with a centralized system

offering higher efficiency, additional capacity and lower maintenance

requirements--without upgrading their electrical infrastructure.

February 2014Case study

A simple, highly efficient, quiet design

With a pre-engineered standard system configuration,

integrated with a system controller and operator interface,

the Trane EarthWise™ Ice-Enhanced Air-Cooled Chiller Plant

simplifies the design and implementation of a system typically

considered complicated. A 90-ton CGAM air-cooled scroll

chiller, supplemented by four CALMAC IceBank® thermal

energy storage tanks and a Trane system completion module,

serve the desired 200-ton peak cooling capacity, with

increased comfort and a better learning environment.

Managing peak demand

The EarthWise Ice-Enhanced Air-Cooled Chiller Plant builds

ice at night during off-peak hours when the building cooling

and power load is low. Shifting the time when cooling is

created allows the college to take advantage of lower-cost,

off-peak electricity, as well as milder outdoor conditions for

improved system efficiency. During the day, the ice and the

chiller work together to cool the facility. The ice tanks and

the downsized chiller help the college manage peak electrical

demand and avoid a costly substation upgrade.

Optimizing performance

Building operators use a Tracer™ SC controller to manage the

EarthWise System. With a click of a button, facility managers

can monitor equipment, make set-point changes, manage

alarms and decide whether to melt, make or preserve ice.

Tracer SC dashboard screens make reporting and

programming adjustments simple, at a workstation or with

remote access via devices such as smartphones or tablets. The

campus uses Tracer ES™ software to integrate the variety of

control systems currently in use at the college and help them

make enterprise-wide decisions.

ResultsA Trane EarthWise Ice-Enhanced Air-Cooled Chiller Plant has

allowed the Jefferson Community College to nearly double its

cooling capacity while decreasing utility costs. The efficient

system provides the college with load shifting flexibility to

help manage peak demand, avoid a costly electrical

substation upgrade, and take advantage of lower cost

off-peak electricity. Comfort has been enhanced, and with

the chillers working mainly at night and further away from

occupants, sound levels have been reduced.

“We haven’t fully tested the chillers to see what kind of loads

they can handle. In most instances so far, we have been able

to use ice-only to cool the facility,” said Bruce Alexander,

Director of Facilities, Jefferson Community College. "We want

any renovation we do to be as ’green’ as possible. The

EarthWise system is aligned with our green initiatives."

“Overall our utility bills have gone down," said Dan Dupee,

Vice President for Administration and Finance, Jefferson

Community College. “Trane has been very responsive and

great to work with."

Four CALMAC IceBank® thermal energy storage tanks work with a Trane

90-ton air-cooled scroll chiller to meet the college’s capacity needs and

manage peak loads.

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) advances the quality of life by creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments. Our people and our family of brands—including Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Thermo King® and Trane®—work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings; transport and protect food and perishables; and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. We are a global business committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results.

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We are committed to using environmentally conscious print practices. ©2014 Ingersoll Rand CASE-SLX377-EN February 11, 2014