When I took on the responsibility of managing a 55,000-square-foot building in the greater New York area, one of the first challenges I encountered was the building’s HVAC system. Although there were several issues to address, the most urgent problem at the time of my onboarding was the air conditioning. I made it my priority to solve this issue.

Upon my arrival as the general manager, I was informed that the previous summer had been exceptionally difficult—not just due to the heat but because the building’s chilled water supply system had failed. This failure resulted in three weeks without air conditioning during one of the hottest months of the year. With the average temperature hovering around 86°F, the conditions inside the building were almost unbearable. As a result, my organization was already considering significant HVAC upgrades.

Fortunately, when I arrived, the building was supplying heat, not air conditioning. However, given the stories I’d heard of portable air coolers, fans, and heatstroke throughout the building, I quickly realized that addressing the air conditioning issue was a top priority. I began by reaching out to the contractors who had repaired the HVAC system after the previous failure. They informed me that the building required 90 chilled tons of water to effectively cool all its spaces. However, for the past five years, the building had been operating with only 60 chilled tons of water. When I presented this information to management, no one seemed to have realized that we were operating below the required capacity.

As I delved deeper into the HVAC system, I discovered that the roof and penthouse mechanical room contained several pieces of equipment that had been permanently abandoned. Among these was an old Worthington chiller, roughly 12 feet wide by 3 feet deep by 7 feet tall, along with an interior water cooling tower (8 feet by 15 feet by 9 feet), an exterior water cooling tower (6 feet by 5 feet by 7 feet), and an old York chiller (5 feet by 7 feet by 6 feet). I realized that removing some of this outdated equipment could free up space on the roof and in the mechanical room for new, more efficient units.

After consulting with HVAC engineers, mechanical consultants, and other experts, we determined that the best solution would be to install two new exterior chillers, each capable of providing 25 chilled tons of water. This would increase our total chilled water capacity to 110 tons, a sufficient amount for our building’s needs. By opting for two smaller units instead of one large one, we gained the flexibility to run only one chiller on less demanding days, thus saving electricity and improving energy efficiency.

Given the building’s location in a downtown metropolitan area, we needed to work closely with local government officials to move forward with the project. We explained that we would need to close the road adjacent to the building to accommodate the installation. This posed a challenge, as the road was a major thoroughfare. After negotiations, we were granted permission to close the road from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning.

Next, we had to file a series of permits to proceed with the work. These included applications with the Department of Public Works (DPW) to close the road and sidewalk, the Building Department for general construction approval, the Structural Engineering Department to ensure our building could support the new chillers, and the Electrical and Plumbing Departments to manage the installation connections. With all the necessary permits in place, we were ready to schedule the installation date.

In addition to working with city officials, we partnered with Con Edison, our electrical provider, which offered incentives for energy-efficient upgrades. After several meetings, Con Edison agreed to reimburse us approximately $10,000 based on the projected energy savings from the new high-efficiency system. Once this was confirmed, we had the green light to move forward.

On the scheduled installation day, a team of ten HVAC technicians arrived at the building, followed by a massive crane capable of lifting up to 10,000 pounds. Behind the crane was a long flatbed truck carrying the two new chillers. We began by closing the road, with police assistance, and lifting the chillers off the flatbed and onto the street. While this was happening, half of the HVAC team went to the roof to disconnect the old exterior chiller and water cooling tower. I had negotiated the removal of this outdated equipment as part of the overall project. Within minutes, the old chiller and water tower were suspended by the crane and placed on the flatbed.

By 10 a.m., the two new chillers were successfully lifted to the roof and securely mounted. The crane and flatbed quickly packed up and left the site, and the crew immediately began connecting the necessary electrical and plumbing systems. Over the next two weeks, a dedicated team of 80 smaller HVAC technicians worked on-site, ensuring that all connections were properly made, and conducting tests to identify and fix any leaks before the units were put into regular use.

When the summer heat arrived, the new chillers performed flawlessly. We received minimal complaints about air conditioning, and despite running two additional units, our energy bills remained in line with previous years. The new system provided 50 additional tons of chilled water, significantly improving comfort throughout the building without increasing our operational costs.