Thanks to OUCooling, building owners are enjoying lower A/C-related electric charges and reducing their capital and operational costs, too. This innovative, reliable service enables commercial property owners to outsource the production of chilled water for their air-conditioning needs.

"OUC has a long tradition of being reliable as well as innovative, and OUCooling is the latest example of that mindset," said OUC CEO and General Manager Ken Ksionek. "Our work with chilled water shows that OUC is committed to our customers by staying on the forefront of new technology and business opportunities."

In downtown Orlando, OUCooling serves nine customers including the CNL Center, the Westin Grand Bohemian Hotel, Lincoln Tower and First Presbyterian Church. Outside of downtown, OUCooling serves the Sheraton Vistana Villages timeshare development, the Mall at Millenia and the Orange County Convention Center.

In Parramore, Hughes Supply Inc. already cools its complex with OUCooling's chilled water ducts. The Florida A&M Law School also uses chilled water and expects to realize valuable savings from its partnership with OUC.

Building owners using OUCooling can benefit from smaller mechanical rooms, no insurance requirements, federal income tax savings and improved property resale value.

Established in 1997, OUCooling's first project was building a chilled water plant for Lockheed Martin in south Orange County. The following year, OUC constructed a "district cooling" plant in downtown Orlando to serve the growing — and diverse — commercial market there.

OUC expects to build other chiller plants serving commercial campuses, such as time-share developments, hotels and retail shopping centers. With an eye to the future, OUC already is considering additional chiller plants in the International Drive area near the tourist attractions.

Here's how OUCooling works

All buildings are air-conditioned by chilled water coils. Warm air is blown over these coils, cooling the air as it passes through. With OUCooling, all the equipment used to cool the water (cooling tower, pump and chiller equipment) is housed in one central facility.

Currently, OUC operates two chilled water plants that serve Parramore and downtown Orlando partners. Underground "loops" run from each facility to buildings partnered with OUCooling.

In Parramore and downtown Orlando alone, about 10 miles of underground pipes have the capacity to deliver 15,000 tons of chilled water to businesses. That's enough chilled water to cool about 6,000 residential homes. Additionally, the OUCooling tank at the Orange County Convention Center is a 17.6 million-gallon chilled water storage tank - the largest in the world.

At the facility, water is cooled to 37 degrees and piped to participating buildings to cool them. The water is then recycled to its central facility to be cooled again before repeating the cycle.

Our customers

Every month, OUCooling brings the economy and security of district cooling to more and more customers. Below is a partial list of Orlando-area companies already enjoying the benefits of OUCooling:

For information on OUCooling District Cooling Services, businesses should contact Erick Rocher, Director of Chilled Water Services, at 407.236.9678 or erocher@ouc.com.