ChallengeSince its construction in 1965, the J. Wayne Reitz Union

at the University of Florida had undergone numerous

reconfigurations, resulting in a mix of architectural styles

and stitched together systems. As administrators developed

expansion plans to accommodate campus growth, they also

wished to address the facility’s poor energy performance

and comfort challenges. Infrastructure issues included aging

air handlers, chiller plants that were not working together,

and outdated pneumatic controls. The University sought to

implement energy conservation measures (ECMs) that would

deliver maximum savings and efficiency.

SolutionAfter a competitive selection process involving several

vendors, the University of Florida selected Trane to implement

a performance contract that would include significant

infrastructure upgrades enabled by guaranteed energy savings.

Project goals were to replace obsolete systems and increase

capacity of the central cooling and heating plants, while

conserving energy. Trane began by using the TRACE™ 700

modeling program to evaluate energy use of the HVAC and

lighting systems. Relying on the Trane Building Advantage™

portfolio of energy services, Trane proposed a comprehensive

renovation, with more than fifty potential ECMs.

Saving energy and maintenance costs

Fluorescent, metal halide and compact fluorescent fixtures

were replaced with new LED fixtures throughout the facility.

New LED fixtures were carefully selected to improve aesthetics

and light quality. The LED's extended service life and dimming

capability in high ceiling areas help to reduce maintenance

time and costs.

Performance contracting upgrades at J. Wayne Reitz Union increase capacity; projected to exceed guaranteed savings of 3,728,505 kWh of electricity, 13,597 therms of steam/yr, and result in first year savings of $535,657; receive $90,549 under an energy efficiency structure.

The J. Wayne Reitz Union and surrounding complex includes the campus bookstore, ballrooms, auditoriums, meeting rooms, a food court, game room, office spaces, parking garage and a hotel with 36 guest rooms.

Optimizing building performance, increasing capacity

A redesign of the facility’s two chiller plants was implemented

to optimize building performance. The chilled water piping

between the two plants was redesigned to create a single

primary-secondary pumping system. The chilled water pumping

system was totally replaced and expanded to provide capacity

for the new expansion. A refrigerant monitoring system was

added in the chiller plant for improved safety.

The chiller plant was upgraded with a 2,000 kVA transformer,

electrical service and switchgear, and the steam heating

systems were replaced with a larger system to enable hot

water flow throughout the complex. To provide sustainability,

reliability and efficient operation, the existing chillers were

replaced with two 500-ton Trane® CenTraVac™ centrifugal

water-cooled chillers and a 375-ton Trane® Series S™

CenTraVac™ chiller that delivers the highest full- and part load

efficiencies in its tonnage range.

Univ. of Florida/J. Wayne Reitz UnionGainesville, Florida January 2017

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) advances the quality of life by creating comfortable, sustainable and e�cient 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 e�ciency. We are a $13 billion global business committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results.

We are committed to using environmentally conscious print practices.

trane.com ingersollrand.com

Enhancing efficiency and comfort

Eleven constant-volume air handling units were replaced with

more efficient variable-air-volume (VAV) Trane® Performance

Climate Changer™ air handlers for primary cooling. Trane

converted twenty recently installed constant-volume, multi-

and single-zone air handling units to VAV and added VAV

boxes, resulting in a substantial energy savings. Reconfiguring

the system allowed the complete removal of five air handlers.

Improving operations and system control

New Building Automation Systems (BAS) replaced the non-

communicating pneumatic controls and legacy systems. The

University uses the BAS to access HVAC and lighting systems

for scheduling, occupied/unoccupied settings, and night

setback of cooling and heating setpoints. With an easy to

operate, fully editable user interface set-up, building operators

use the Trane chiller plant controls to start and stop the

chillers and pumps based on system load; implement chiller,

pump, and cooling tower sequencing and energy optimization

routines; and obtain status reports of critical operating data.

Managing space and time constraints

With the energy retrofit taking place simultaneously with a

major expansion and renovation project, daily coordination

and intensive communication were required. Trane worked

closely with facility managers to work within the space and

time constraints, completing the work with minimal disruption

to daily student activities and special events. Lighting retrofits

in the ballroom were scheduled two months out awaiting

an open date, a temporary air-cooled rental chiller provided

cooling capacity during the chiller plant construction, and

deliveries were planned to ensure loading dock availability for

the bookstore, hotel and food service.

ResultsThe University of Florida and Trane implemented energy

savings performance contracting upgrades at the J. Wayne

Reitz Union, resulting in increased capacity and a project

expected to exceed guaranteed savings. The upgrades are

projected to result in an annual savings of 3,278,505 kWh

of electricity and 13,597 therms of natural gas, annual

energy use and rate change savings of $414,562, and annual

operational savings of $121,095. The University also received

an additional $90,549 under an energy efficiency structure.

“This project made it possible for us to replace infrastructure

without the financial burden of having to find new funds, and

at the same time significantly reduced energy consumption,"

said Eddie Daniels, Executive Director, J. Wayne Reitz Union.

"We are here to provide educational opportunities for students,

and every upgrade and improvement enhances our ability to

do that.”

The University of Florida and Trane were honored by the Urban Green Council in New York City with an EBie Award for the greatest dollar savings in building energy use.

©2017 Ingersoll Rand CASE-SLX451-EN January 05, 2017