A foreward thinking hospital group optimizes its water usage  

OBJECTIVE

The complex known as the Duke Energy Center in Charlotte, North Carolina is one of the largest buildings in the South East ad the complex encompasses a full city block in Downtown Charlotte. Originally developed by Wachovia Bank and then Wells Fargo upon Wachovia’s purchase, it is a landmark not only for its size (786 feet and 54 total stories) but also for its sustainability leadership, as it is LEED Platinum. This elite level of third party certified sustainability was achieved in part by the unique multi stage water treatment systems that were designed by RethinkH2o engineer Mario Van Severen and subsequently supported and enhanced by the entire RethinkH2o team. This system aggregates contaminated groundwater, rainwater capture and industrial blowdown to meet the buildings substantial evaporative cooling requirements. The system was the only one of its kind in the US upon its commissioning in 2010 and became the model for a subsequent system similar for Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles designed and supported by RethinkH2o five years later.

 

This is what the current building management firm, Childress Klein says about the system today; "Approximately 25 million gallons of water per year are required for the HVAC system in a building of this size. Approximately 95% of the contaminated ground water is being captured and treated to supply 100% of the water required for HVAC systems to cool the building and 100% of needed water from on-site sources, avoiding the purchase of this water from the city, thereby reducing the demand on city infrastructure.” (For more information go to http://www.dukeenergycenter.info/sustainability.aspx )