Case Study: The Toledo Zoo achieves increased cooling capacity and lower electricity use with Trane EarthWise Ice-Enhanced HVAC

The Toledo Zoo avoids a costly substation upgrade with Trane Commercial and cuts chiller size in half

The Toledo Zoo faced a challenge in its historic Museum of Science building, which was cooled by an aging 80-ton Trane chiller with a failed compressor. The zoo needed to increase cooling capacity to include an indoor theater while avoiding a costly electrical substation upgrade that would be triggered by increased peak electricity demand. They sought a solution from vendor Trane Commercial that would maintain comfort without raising electricity consumption.

Trane Commercial implemented an EarthWise Ice Enhanced Air-Cooled Chiller Plant System, featuring a new 40-ton CGAM chiller and two ice storage tanks. This system builds ice at night during off-peak hours to provide cooling during the day, shifting the electrical load. The results allowed the zoo to increase capacity and reduce overall electricity consumption, avoiding the substation upgrade. The smaller chiller lowered initial project costs, improved serviceability, and reduced maintenance, with the system often running for days on ice alone without activating the chiller.

The Toledo Zoo