Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts
About The Project
The Duke Energy Center of Performing Arts, a 280,000 SF complex, includes four performance venues and supporting spaces. It had numerous HVAC deficiencies, including poor condition and insufficient capacity of the chillers, poor condition of the AHUs serving Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, inadequate controls, etc. Sud was retained to perform an assessment, which included occupant interviews, logging of temperature/humidity/CO2 levels, and modeling and simulations. It resulted in comprehensive recommendations with a budget of $8 million, including a new central energy plant to house the chillers/boilers, replacement of AHUs and a new building automation system for the entire complex. Sud was responsible for providing engineering design services to implement the recommendations. The use of two chillers and boilers minimize energy costs and provide redundancy for the entire complex. Location of equipment in a new free-standing building minimized noise and maintenance concerns. Water side economizer for free winter cooling allow the chillers to be turned off during cold weather conditions. AHUs include demand side ventilation. The upgrades result in a 30% reduction in the energy usage by the facility.
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The design and construction were expedited so that the existing equipment, which was in poor condition, could be replaced before the next cooling season. In addition, construction was carefully planned around the Center’s schedule.
To expedite the design and construction, Sud developed a plan to divide the total scope into three smaller projects. The first project was designed and constructed within the expedited schedule, the second project was designed during the construction of the first project and the third project was designed while the second project was being constructed.