Thomas Dale High School Chiller Plant Replacement
Chester, Virginia
Square Footage
220,000 SF
Building Type
K-12 Education
Project Type
Mechanical
Team
Annual Contract
Services Provided
Mechanical Design
Overview
Thomas Dale High School is served by a modernized central chiller plant designed to improve cooling capacity, efficiency, and operational reliability across the 220,000-square-foot campus. The project replaced aging chiller plant equipment and associated mechanical infrastructure with upgraded systems designed to improve overall plant performance and maintainability. Thompson Consulting Engineers provided mechanical design services for the project, addressing the integration of new high-capacity equipment within the constraints of the existing plant. The upgraded cooling infrastructure supports reliable school operations while providing improved system performance and long-term maintainability.
Challenges
- Replacing critical chiller plant infrastructure while maintaining cooling service to an active high school campus.
- Integrating new high-capacity equipment within the constraints of the existing mechanical plant.
- Coordinating mechanical and electrical upgrades to improve plant reliability and operational control.
Goals
- Replace aging chiller plant equipment with modern, high-efficiency cooling systems.
- Increase system reliability and maintainability for long-term campus operations.
- Improve overall cooling plant performance through upgraded mechanical and electrical infrastructure.
Project Team
- Owner: Chesterfield County Public Schools
- Architect: BCWH, now Quinn Evans Architects
- Structural: G.G. Cornwell & Co.
- Contractor: Waco, Inc.
Results
- Successfully modernized the central chiller plant serving Thomas Dale High School.
- Improved cooling capacity and operational reliability through upgraded equipment and system components.
- Delivered efficient, maintainable cooling infrastructure designed to support long-term school operations.
