Johnson Controls keeps Hisense Arena pumping with high performance chillers

Melbourne Park’s multipurpose sports arena is one of Australia’s premier entertainment and sporting venues. With a seated capacity of 10,500, the venue hosts multiple large-scale concerts and sporting events throughout the year, including Melbourne Vixens and Melbourne United fixtures. It is also a major tennis venue for the Australian Open and the home of a cycling velodrome.

When the arena was originally constructed in 2000 it was fitted with six 800kW air cooled chillers to manage its cooling load, however, by 2016 these units had reached the end of their lifecycle. The chillers had become inefficient, with some requiring compressor replacements, and were unable to run at maximum output levels. Additionally, due to the building’s limited power capacity, not all chillers could operate at the same time.

A new mechanical plant with replacement chillers needed to be installed between events and before the 2017 Australian Open commenced. Aurecon Australia was subsequently engaged by the Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust (MOPT) to design and document a solution to address the issues the venue was experiencing with the previous plant.

The brief

Following a rigid tendering process involving four major mechanical contractors, Johnson Controls was awarded the project. Energy efficiency was a prime consideration for the MOPT operations team.

Johnson Controls commenced work in July 2016. The team set about reconfiguring the plant from an air cooled to a water cooled system, installing highly efficient chillers that are designed to service the venue for the next 20 to 25 years. These chillers draw considerably less power, which has helped the venue to address the power and energy consumption issues it had experienced with the previous equipment.

The arena needed to be kept operational throughout the re-fit and maintain its capacity to satisfy variable cooling loads at all times.

The equipment

By combining YORK^® YMC₂ chillers with the Johnson Controls Metasys^® CPO 10 Plant Optimiser, the Hisense Arena was able to achieve an average COP of 7 ½ which is well above industry average and demonstrates a considerable increase in energy efficiency as identified by the COP monitoring and energy reporting across all seasons.

The new plant upgrade included the following components:

• 2 x 2 100 kW YORK^® YMC₂ centrifugal chillers
• 2 x 400 kW YORK^® YCWL Scroll Chillers
• 2 x 2,500 kW BAC VXT 470 Forced Draft Counterflow Cooling Towers
• 4 x KSB Ajax Chilled Water Pumps
• 4 x KSB Ajax Condenser Cooling Water Pumps
• Danfoss Variable Speed Drive Units for C/T Fans and Pumps
• Form 3B Fully Segregated Mechanical Services Switchboard
• Metasys^® CPO 10 Chiller Plant Optimiser.

Having the chilled water equipment running at optimal efficiency levels was a critical consideration for this project due to the nature of the venue, where patron and artist comfort is paramount.

The removal of the old equipment and installation of new had to be carefully staged as the arena was still operating during retrofit works. The plant room was also 10 to 12 metres from the ground with a steel deck roof and air intake louvres surrounding three sides. Johnson Controls was required to remove sections of the roof to replace the air cooled chillers and load the new equipment, which was challenging at times due to unpredictable weather conditions.

The outcome

This project was successfully completed within six months, well before the crowds descended on the venue for the 2017 Australian Open, and with no disruption to the arena’s busy events schedule.

The project incorporated mechanical and structural engineering, building works consisting of roofing, fire sprinkler installation, structural steel works, all cranage and rigging, as well as acoustic testing and complete mechanical services installation. The Johnson Controls team managed and supervised all services which resulted in a high-quality product with absolute minimal disruption to the daily operations of the facility.

Converting a chilled water plant from air cooled to water cooled is an unusual undertaking but was integral to the success of this project. The YORK^® and Metasys^® solutions have delivered exceptional building efficiency outcomes, reversing the expensive power drain that the venue experienced with its previous equipment. The plant manager was also able to increase overall efficiencies by tying in the waterside plant and the air handling plant to maximise energy reductions across the site.

The project relied on meticulous planning and client collaboration by gaining the necessary approvals early in the design phase as well as regular ongoing monitoring of the team’s performance at every stage. The Johnson Controls Victorian service retrofit team has successfully delivered a total turn-key solution that has exceeded client expectations.

“We continually adapt and improve to ensure customers can rely on being comfortable inside our venues every time they visit, while striving to maximise energy-efficiency and minimise installation impacts during a busy calendar of events.”

“The benefits have not only achieved a new benchmark in reducing the environmental and financial burdens of power-consumption, but also enhancing customer experience.”

The Johnson Controls team has produced an amazing outcome for the arena, exceeding performance and efficiency targets. The average COP (Coefficient of Performance) readings of 7 ½ is an outstanding result, meeting consistently high energy efficiency targets year round.