Understanding the Link Between Energy and Water
The Frank Vinke Energy Center at Presbyterian Hospital is highly dependent on water to heat and cool the building. Facility engineers manage a complex gas- and electric-powered system of boilers, chillers, fans, cooling towers and underground thermal storage, optimizing the use and re-use of water throughout every building system in the hospital. With the exception of electricity, nearly all other transmission of energy throughout our facilities occurs through water.
The two main methods of building cooling present a trade-off between energy and water conservation: evaporative cooling towers (wetcooled) require significantly less energy, while air-cooled (dry-cooled) condensers use no water.
Joe Frey checks chiller operations at the Frank Vinke Energy Center at Presbyterian Hospital.
10 | 2009–2010 Environmental Sustainability Report