Overview
CITIZENS THERMAL - IU HEALTH (@ RILEY HOSP) CHILLED WATER PLANT is an operational cooling tower in Indianapolis, Indiana. It provides chilled water services to the IU Health Riley Hospital campus.
CITIZENS THERMAL - IU HEALTH (@ RILEY HOSP) CHILLED WATER PLANT is a cooling tower facility located at 810 Wilson Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. Operated by Citizens Thermal, it serves the IU Health Riley Hospital for Children, providing essential chilled water for air conditioning and process cooling. The facility is part of a district energy system that supports one of the largest healthcare complexes in the region. The plant operates under U.S. regulatory frameworks, including ASHRAE 15 for refrigeration safety and the EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program for refrigerant management. As a cooling tower, it likely uses evaporative cooling, which requires water consumption and chemical treatment to prevent scale and biological growth. Typical hospital chilled water plants range from 1,000 to 10,000 tons of refrigeration. This chilled water plant plays a critical role in maintaining a stable environment for patient care, medical equipment, and research activities at Riley Hospital. By centralizing cooling production, it improves energy efficiency compared to individual building chillers. The plant's location in downtown Indianapolis underscores its importance to the city's healthcare infrastructure and its contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of the hospital complex.
Environmental context
Cooling towers like this one use evaporative cooling, which consumes water and can lead to drift losses and blowdown discharge. The environmental impact depends on the refrigerant used in the chiller system; older systems may use high-GWP refrigerants, while newer ones comply with the Kigali Amendment phase-down of HFCs. Water treatment chemicals and energy consumption for pumps and fans also factor into the facility's overall environmental footprint.
Frequently asked questions
The facility is located at 810 Wilson Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States.
It is a cooling tower that produces chilled water for air conditioning and process cooling at IU Health Riley Hospital for Children.
The plant is operated by Citizens Thermal, a district energy provider in Indianapolis.
Cooling towers in the U.S. must comply with ASHRAE 15 for refrigeration safety, EPA regulations under the Clean Air Act for refrigerants, and local water discharge permits.
Environmental impacts include water consumption, potential refrigerant leaks with high global warming potential, and energy use. Modern plants aim to reduce these through efficient chillers and low-GWP refrigerants.
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