Ameresco, Inc. announced that it has started work on an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) for Austin Energy's Domain District Cooling Plant. The $5.2 million budget-neutral ESPC project includes the installation of a new chilled water storage system that will help reduce the plant's peak electricity usage by shifting the chilled water load and associated electric consumption from on-peak to off-peak hours. Prior to starting the work on the ESPC, Ameresco performed a comprehensive audit and identified energy savings measures at the Domain District Cooling Plant, which will include the installation of a 24,000-ton-hour chilled water storage system large enough to shift a major portion of the chilled water load from on-peak to off-peak over a four-hour period.

The upgraded system will be comprised of a 2.4 million (gallon) concrete thermal energy storage (TES) tank, 92 feet in diameter by 48 feet in height. The system circulation will be maintained by three 200 horsepower horizontal splitcase pumps controlled by variable frequency drives. The new energy management system will be upgraded to control and monitor the new TES system along with upgrades to the existing plant controls.

New mechanical piping and associated mechanical devices will connect the new pumps to the TES tank. In addition, all the existing domestic water closets, showerheads and faucet aerators will be replaced with more efficient fixtures.