New Central Chiller Plant

Texas State Technical College needed Halff to design an HVAC chilled water system that could operate on backup power while staying within a specific construction budget. Halff led the design and construction of a 7,300-sf building to serve as the College’s new central chilled water plant, replacing the 60-year-old original plant.

The new building housed the College’s Emergency Operations Center and the thermal plant, with systems including 2,500 tons of magnetic-bearing water-cooled chillers and a one-million-gallon chilled water storage tank. Designed for LEED Silver accreditation, this facility could shift chiller operation to off-peak hours and provide up to 8,000 ton-hours of chilled water using an emergency generator.

Halff provided a design that included a thermal energy storage tank, allowing the HVAC system to operate temporarily on backup power. This approach decreased generator size and construction costs while enhancing energy efficiency by enabling the chillers to run only during high demand periods.

The new central chiller plant will help enhance energy efficiency, extend the plant’s lifespan and provide scalable chilled water solutions for years to come.