Case Study: Duke University achieves major chilled water energy savings with Trane Commercial

Duke University - Customer Case Study

Duke University worked with Trane Commercial to address growing HVAC demands across its Durham campus. In 1999, the university had no central chilled water plant, so individual buildings relied on their own chiller systems, increasing staffing, maintenance, and replacement costs as the campus expanded.

Trane Commercial helped Duke University build and expand a central chilled water infrastructure using Trane Duplex centrifugal chillers and an EarthWise™ design. The system improved efficiency, reduced maintenance and construction costs, and delivered annual chilled water energy performance of about 0.70 to 0.95 kW per ton versus 0.80 to 1.2 kW per ton for traditional plants, while also enabling rainwater reuse and LEED-oriented features.

Duke University