La Gran Plaza Fort Worth

Previous Situation

The owner/operator of a large retail and office facility sought the assistance of Applied Climate Solutions to resolve an urgent challenge. Their facility’s infrastructure was on the brink of catastrophic failure, jeopardizing the professional and retail environment for tenants and risking major revenue loss due to violation of contract terms. Since downtime is not an option for a retail environment, system failure would have meant having to rent expensive backup cooling equipment.

Desired Situation

Like many property owners with aging assets, the facility owners faced significant budgetary constraints. A cost-effective solution was urgently needed before time ran out. Indeed, time was a pressing issue not only because of the imminent collapse of the existing equipment but also because industry-standard lead times would have resulted in the installation of new equipment in the warmer months, increasing the risk of higher load requirements and further endangering already-compromised systems.

Solution Provided by Applied Climate

The facility owners brought their challenges to Applied Climate Solutions’ experienced team, who collaborated closely with them to develop a multipoint solution. Applied Climate Solutions served as the sole project vendor and provided a comprehensive set of services to set the plan in motion and bring it to a successful conclusion.

Applied Climate Solutions took a “Fast Track Project Approach” to expedite design, permitting, and equipment delivery. The ACS team also identified potential risks in advance to avoid costly and time-consuming change orders. The project’s careful, comprehensive scoping meant that there would be no “gotchas”.

While the facility owners’ budget constraints were carefully honored throughout the project, it was never at the expense of ROI. By utilizing advanced technology, the Applied Climate team was able to achieve significant annual operational savings.

Applied Climate implemented equipment that slashed fan horsepower demands by 40%, employing permanent magnet direct-drive motors, renowned as the most energy-efficient motors available, alongside variable-frequency drives to enable energy savings at partial load. In addition, the augmented corrosion resistance features of structural FRP, combined with inlet louvers preventing sunlight from reaching the basin, facilitated higher cycles of concentration, thereby minimizing water consumption and chemical treatment needs.

The system was additionally engineered to reduce future expenses by removing components prone to failure. With only two moving parts—the fan assembly and the makeup water valve—the new cooling tower boasts a life cycle of 30-35+ years. In addition to sourcing highly dependable equipment, Applied Climate provided comprehensive warranties, such as a 15-year warranty covering the entire casing/structure, another 15-year warranty against leaks, and a 5-year parts warranty.

At the same time, serviceability was improved. Per OSHA regulations, the new equipment is now service-accessible on all sides, and direct-drive fan assemblies have eliminated the maintenance requirements associated with belt- and gear-driven fans.

To ensure smooth installation and reduce risk, weekly site meetings were held throughout the lead-up to installation to ensure that all parties were on the same page. During these meetings, safe passage routes were planned to keep patrons away from construction areas. While installation was taking place, the Applied Climate team carefully maintained clean working environments and ensured that all techs scrupulously complied with OSHA safety requirements.

Applied Climate Solutions’ results-oriented approach averted the risk of equipment failure, respected the client’s budget, avoided impacting the retail environment, and prevented revenue loss from an interruption of retail operations.