Bucknell University Chilled Water Plant

BKP teamed with engineers from H.F. Lenz Co. to design a new annex to Bucknell University’s chilled water plant. Identified as a critical infrastructure improvement in the university’s 2017 campus master plan, the new chiller building accommodates increased chilled water production to support campus growth. More importantly, the facility helps Bucknell reduce energy and water usage, even as the campus expands. Features include a 940-ton, single-stage broad absorption chiller, which assures N+1 redundancy and full cooling capacity in the event of a single chiller failure, and tools for managing peak electricity demand by using stored thermal energy to reduce loads. BKP’s high-bay design incorporates red brick to complement adjacent campus architecture, storefront windows to showcase the facility’s colorful technology, and an elaborate metal rooftop screen to shield dunnage and other external equipment. BKP designed the building with space for future electric chillers as the campus continues to grow or cooling demand increases. The building supports the university’s environmental goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

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