DDG has supported the owners of the National Press Building (NPB), located at 529 4th Street, NW in Washington, DC, since the property was acquired in 2020. DDG has delivered a comprehensive suite of services, reflecting the firm’s full-service capabilities. Upgrading the building’s chiller and boiler plant was a significant and collaborative effort involving the owner, consultants, and subcontractors—an inclusive team of professionals who have worked together for years to create a built environment that is healthy, energy-efficient, safe, and a positive symbol for both DC and the community.

The boiler plant component of the project included the phased replacement of three (3) original 6,277 MBH scotch marine boilers with four (4) new 4,000 MBH high-efficiency condensing boilers, each with a 5:1 turndown ratio. A key sub-phase involved separating the domestic hot water system from the central boiler plant, including the installation of domestic hot water storage and two (2) new 400 MBH instantaneous gas-fired water heaters by Intellihot to serve restrooms and restaurant-type functions.

On the chiller side, the project included the phased replacement of three (3) original 400-ton water-cooled chillers with high-efficiency, magnetic-bearing models. An additional sub-phase included recommissioning the existing free-cooling heat exchanger system with upgraded DDC controls and valves to enhance energy performance and system reliability.

Scope

Replacement of three original 6,277 MBH scotch marine boilers with four new 4,000 MBH high-efficiency condensing boilers, each featuring a 5:1 turndown ratio, was a key component of the boiler plant upgrade. This work also involved separating the domestic hot water system from the central plant, including the addition of domestic hot water storage and the installation of two 400 MBH instantaneous gas-fired water heaters by Intellihot to serve restrooms and restaurant-type functions. On the chiller side, three original 400-ton water-cooled chillers were replaced with new high-efficiency, magnetic-bearing chillers. The upgrade further included the recommissioning of an existing free-cooling heat exchanger system, enhanced with new DDC controls and valves.