Creating a cooler future

Building upon our previous work with Duke University, which includes the redesign of the West Campus Steam Plant and the expansion of Chilled Water Plant No. 2, Flad was once again retained for the institution's next major utility project.

A collaboration between Flad's Raleigh practice and Affiliated Engineers, Duke's new Chiller Plant No. 3 will support the cooling needs of Central Campus for years to come.

Working closely with the university to meet the functional requirements of the institution at large while preserving the overall campus aesthetic, the new facility – nestled among a backdrop of lush greenery abounding much of Central Campus – boasts two 119,000-pound chillers (with additional room to spare), and can produce 7,600 tons of cooling power; roughly 2,500 times the power of common household central air conditioning units and enough to cool over five million square feet of space. The space also allows for an additional 7,600 tons of cooling power in the future, bringing the plant's full build-out capacity to 15,200 tons.

As one of the campus facilities featuring rooftop solar panels, Plant No. 3 is designed for enhanced energy efficiency. Acting as a hub, its powerful cooling systems are designed to carefully work in harmony with neighboring plant facilities through a looped, campus-wide network of pipes. With extensive institutional growth and over 12 miles of pipes running throughout the university and medical buildings, this project will ensure optimal occupant comfort campus-wide and specific to Duke University Hospital's new, 490,000-square-foot bed tower that was recently completed in 2021.

In addition to enhanced operations, the new facility provides much-needed office space and a state-of-the-art control room, fully equipped with a 20-foot-long video screen – a breath of fresh air for the High Voltage Team of Duke Facilities Management's Energy Management Team. Supervisor Donald Elliot states, "We moved everything over in two days... now that we're here, we love it."