ENERGY STAR Labeled Building Profile

555 17th Street
555 17th Street
Denver, CO 80202
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Qwest Tower is a Class "A" office tower in downtown Denver, encompassing over 750,000 in gross office space, plus a 250,000 gross square foot parking facility. The property also includes an atrium and loading dock facility that serves the entire city block. The property is owned by Antelope Company and has been professionally managed by Mile High Properties for the last six years. The tenants include a variety of professional firms, including the big six accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche, the largest law firm in Denver, Holland & Hart, and its largest tenant, fiber optic telecommunications company Qwest. Qwest operates a 24/7 national network monitoring facility and data center from within the office tower. The property also accommodates several non-traditional tenants including a private club, restaurant and conference center, all of which operate seven days a week.

A comprehensive energy management and reduction program has been developed by the operating team of the property, led by Chief Engineer Mike Turzanski, and Property Managers Bill Fleming-Owen and Lisa Peters integrating ongoing improvements in the efficiency into the long-term financial strategy of the property. Improvements in the operating efficiency have paid for all of the energy related retrofits that have been introduced into the operation including:

• A state of the art Barber-Coleman/SIEBE EMS with full DDC control of all central plant components and functions
• Installation of a 600 ton flat plate heat exchanger that allows the property to utilize tower free cooling up to 70 degree outdoor temperatures
• A consistently exceptional engineering staff that have the knowledge base and experience to operate sophisticated systems and controls in accordance with the building's energy saving strategy.
• Strategic operation of the centeral plant systems to maximize energy savings without jeopardizing tenant comfort conditions using real time energy consumption and demand data from Public Service Company Power Manager software.
• Repair and calibration of all building system components to return them to their original design operating criteria, including the 20 year old Trane chillers!
• Installation of T-8/electronic ballast lighting technology during tenant finish construction.
• Interlocked space heating and cooling controls that prevent simultaneous operations and cut off heat when interior space conditions are satisfied.
• Reviewing and improving curtain wall conditions and maintenance procedures to maximize the integrity of the building envelope.

Qwest Tower has achieved significant energy savings with very little up front investment by focusing first on correcting and then maintaining sound operating conditions of all building systems, then applying intelligent control systems to those systems. This strategy has generated a cumulative savings of $1,835,000 in five years.

Significant savings potential remains as the property team is completing a retrofit options matrix for its original chillers, pumping and fan systems. The five year energy conservation plan currently being developed by the management and operating team for the property includes an evaluation of numerous options including frequency drives for the main air distribution fans and pumping systems, local DDC controls, and peak shaving with on-site generators.

Communications:

Unavailable

Testimonial:

Unavailable

Please note: Narrative information in this profile has been provided by Cushman and Wakefield of Colorado, Inc. or a representative of this facility. Other building information was verified and submitted to EPA at the time of application. Building energy performance, operating characteristics, and ownership/management may be subject to change over time.

Building Owner:*
Cushman and Wakefield of Colorado, Inc.

Property Manager:*
Cushman and Wakefield of Colorado, Inc.

Year(s) Labeled (Rating):
2012 (87)
2011 (90)
2010 (94)
2009 (93)
2008 (92)
2007 (92)
2006 (88)
2005 (88)
2004 (85)
2002 (80)
1999 (79)

Facility Type: Office

Total Floorspace: 793915 sf

Year Constructed: 1978

Contract Type: None

Technologies Used:
Unavailable

For More Info:
Patrick Fine
Denver, CO 80202
303 292 5488
patrick.fine@555-17th.com