HOUSTON, TX

El Paso Energy

To replace five chillers on the 31st floor of an office high-rise, we utilized the largest hydraulic crane ever erected in Houston.

View inside of El Paso Energy's chiller room

Value Delivered

We replaced three 1,200-ton and two 800-ton chillers with more energy-efficient versions at El Paso Energy’s headquarters. The chillers were demolished and replaced one at a time without disrupting the building’s day-to-day operations.

Working closely with the manufacturer, we ensured the new units met the building’s unique size and weight limitations. An 850-ton hydraulic crane was erected to help us reach the headquarters’ location on the 31st floor.

In spite of this project’s unique challenges, we delivered a more energy-efficient HVAC system on time and within budget over two weekends—while satisfying El Paso Energy’s strict safety regulations. Our solution helped lower the building’s power demands by 800-kilovolt amperes. This helped to reduce electrical consumption by approximately 3.1-million kilowatt hours, enabling a four-year project payback.

Client Objectives

This client needed more energy-efficient chillers installed at its world headquarters.

Solutions

To complete this project, our solutions included:

  • Coordination with subcontractors and manufacturers
  • Demolition of existing/old chillers
  • Replacement of three 1,200-ton and two 800-ton chillers with new, more energy-efficient versions
  • Utilization of the largest hydraulic crane ever erected in downtown Houston (850-ton) to complete work on the the 31st floor of a 32-story building

Client Background

El Paso Energy is a provider of natural gas and energy-related products.