Trane

55 Water Street - Reimagining Manhattan

Challenge

55 Water Street faced urgent pressure to meet New York City’s most demanding emissions regulations, Local Law 97, while maintaining comfort for thousands of occupants. The building depended on aging steam‑based systems common in legacy high‑rises, making deep decarbonization technically complex.

The team needed to rethink the entire heating and cooling infrastructure and deliver it within a tight 12‑month construction window to secure utility incentives. Adding to the challenge, the building stayed fully occupied throughout construction, requiring carefully coordinated overnight work, minimal disruption, and seamless collaboration among engineering, operations, and utility partners.

Innovation

The project deployed the nation’s first Storage Source Heat Pump (SSHP) system—an innovative, fully electrified solution replacing steam‑dependent operations with high‑efficiency, low‑carbon technologies. Trane integrated an underused thermal energy storage network with advanced equipment, including CenTraVac centrifugal chillers, Thermafit modular, heat‑recovery chillers, and water-to-water domestic hot water heat pumps.

Intelligent controls optimize performance in real time, enabling the building to recover waste heat and meet 100% of domestic hot water needs and more than 90% of comfort heating without steam. Retaining the legacy steam system for redundancy and selecting low‑ and zero‑GWP refrigerants further improved reliability, emissions, and long‑term resilience.

Impact

The transformation of 55 Water Street represents one of New York City’s most significant energy‑efficiency achievements. The building reduced steam consumption by over 75% and electrified 90% of its HVAC operations, generating more than 66,000 MMBTU in annual energy savings and over $2 million in yearly utility cost reductions.

Financial outcomes were strengthened by $5.5 million in utility incentives and a 30% Inflation Reduction Act tax credit. Greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 9,458 tonnes CO₂e annually, helping the building avoid roughly $700,000 in Local Law 97 penalties each year and delivering a compelling 3.5‑year payback.

Northern Illinois University's Campus-Wide Energy Transformation

Challenge

Northern Illinois University (NIU) set an ambitious goal to reduce emissions by 50% by fiscal year 2030, but like many higher‑education institutions, it faced aging infrastructure, rising operational costs, and limited capital for large‑scale upgrades. The university needed a clear, metric‑driven energy strategy to modernize facilities while supporting long‑term financial stability.

NIU also sought to connect sustainability efforts with academic and student success, ensuring that energy improvements delivered educational value. What started as an initial exploration ultimately evolved into a campus‑wide effort to align environmental, technical, and economic goals while navigating the complexities typical of large university environments.

Innovation

NIU and Trane launched a comprehensive decarbonization and efficiency program that modernized facilities while advancing student learning. The initiative integrated solar photovoltaic arrays, thermal energy storage tanks across multiple buildings, advanced metering, smart HVAC controls, weatherization upgrades, and LED retrofits in over 50 facilities.

Heating and cooling systems were modernized, water conservation measures were added, and electric vehicle charging stations expanded sustainable mobility. Energy Savings Performance Contracting allowed NIU to fund improvements through cost savings, minimizing risk. Real‑time energy dashboards created transparency and provided hands‑on learning, embedding sustainability directly into academic programs and student experiences.

Impact

The program delivered significant, quantifiable results across environmental, financial, academic, and community categories. NIU expects to reduce annual energy consumption by more than 26% and cut CO₂e emissions by 11%, equivalent to removing 6,552 vehicles from the road or planting over 455,000 trees. Smart controls and thermal storage reduce peak demand and increase system resilience.

Financially, the university will save $5 million annually and more than $100 million over 20 years, supported by $3.9 million in tax credits and substantial utility and state incentives. The project also created local jobs, enhanced campus learning and community spaces, and expanded student engagement in STEM and sustainability—strengthening both local impact and workforce development.

TG Kentucky - Redefining Sustainable Manufacturing

Challenge

TG Kentucky (TGKY), a division of Toyoda Gosei, needed to rapidly decarbonize its growing manufacturing operations to meet the company’s 2030 environmental commitments and align with Toyota’s broader value‑chain goals. The facility depended on legacy systems that required natural gas heating, making meaningful emissions reduction difficult.

At the same time, key process loads such as air compressors, dryers, throat coolers, and temperature control units demanded highly efficient cooling to support production. TGKY required a solution that could reduce both natural gas and electricity use, improve reliability, and accommodate future expansion while working within the constraints of its existing infrastructure.

Innovation

Trane collaborated with TGKY to design an advanced cooling and heat recovery system centered on two high‑efficiency heat recovery chillers in a variable primary/secondary configuration. Integrated adaptive controls and a Building Automation System (BAS) manage process loads in real time, maximizing free cooling from outdoor air and sequencing heat recovery for optimal performance.

Reclaimed heat now powers paint booth air make‑up units, enabling more than nine months of natural‑gas‑free operation. With COP performance expected to exceed 3.0 and modular expandability, the system transforms waste heat into a resource and positions TGKY for future load integration and ongoing efficiency gains.

Impact

The TGKY system is projected to save 58,000 Therms of natural gas annually, eliminating gas use in the paint shop for most of the year and reducing both Scope 1 and, with strategic grid management, Scope 2 emissions. Maximizing free cooling significantly decreases mechanical chiller runtime, unlocking further electricity and cost savings.

These improvements support Toyoda Gosei’s 2030 carbon neutrality commitments and establish TGKY as a model for low‑carbon manufacturing. As the system connects additional process loads, emissions and energy savings are expected to double, strengthening long‑term sustainability and operational resilience.