Preventing Hurricane Damage Due to Loss of Building Climate Controls
Opportunities for Combined Heat & Power

The Gulf Coast CHP Center (GCAC) hosted its first workshop in Louisiana on August 9, 2007 at the Chateau Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans. This event attracted over 50 architects and engineers involved in reconstructing public facilities destroyed during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season.

Over the course of one day, attendees learned why facilities should consider installing CHP to maintain HVAC systems during severe weather events like Hurricane Katrina. Sometimes referred to as "climate controls" these systems help maintain humidity and temperature at safe levels. Much of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, especially mold damage, was the direct result of HVAC system failure. Installing a CHP system can help mitigate against such failures especially when an absorption chiller is included in the design. Placing the CHP system and HVAC controls off the ground will insure that any flooding does not cause these systems to shut down.