Combined Heat and Power Solution Saves University USD $1,000 a Day
Benefits
The Opportunity:
Located in Middletown, CT, Wesleyan University is a premier liberal arts college, with approximately 3,000 students, and comprising 307 buildings on 370 acres.
The university’s physical plant department is responsible for the upkeep of the university’s power and heat infrastructure in the school’s 300 plus buildings.
In 2008, the department’s engineering team installed a combined heat and power (CHP) unit (not a Guascor Energy system) to help reduce energy costs. CHP is a process that uses the heat normally wasted during electricity generation rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.
Following the massive storm that hit the Northeastern US in 2011, plus the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy wherein the university experienced severe power and heat outages, the team developed a plan to prevent similar power outages in the future. The university decided to take advantage of a Connecticut program which provides grants to organizations in the state that invest in micro grid or distributed generation projects. Wesleyan University was the first in setsthe state to be approved for a micro grid project and was the only applicant that proposed a CHP solution.
The Solution
Guascor Energy, through its Northeast distributor Kraft Power, supplied a Guascor Energy G-36SL gas engine as part of a CHP project at Wesleyan University. The CHP system is saving the university an average of 1,000 USD a day from lower gas and electricity usage.
Commissioned in March 2014, the CHP solution from Guascor Energy serves as the primary heat source for the athletic facility. The 676 kilowatt-electric kWe system provides hot water for basic services, keeps the pool temperature at 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) and heats the hundreds of gallons of 150-degree (66 degrees Celsius) water needed for the building’s ice rink. It also provides 90 pounds per square inch (psi) (6.2 bar) steam, generated from the engine’s exhaust, to the campus.
Kraft Power, Guascor Energy’s distributor and service provider in the Northeastern United States, sold the project and designed and provided a custom acoustical enclosure for the equipment package. Martin Energy Group built the CHP package using a Guascor Energy G-36SL gas engine.
Guascor Energy combined heat and power systems can be designed to accommodate a wide range of fuels, including natural gas, biogas, waste heat, hot water, waste steam, and biomass. CHP systems typically range from 250kWe to 2MWe.
Guascor Energy engines help clients optimize the energy potential of their facility by combining heating with on-site power production. By generating electricity on site and recovering heat that would typically be wasted in a conventional power plant, clients benefit from increased energy efficiency and substantially reduced energy costs and carbon emissions.
The Business
Guascor Energy is a leading company with more than 50 years of experience in the design and manufacture of diesel and gas internal combustion engines with its own technology. The company offers some of the most efficient and environmentally friendly technology platforms, products and services in distributed power generation for oil and gas, industrial, institutional, commercial clients and rural electrification programs. In addition, our offer is completed by a range of diesel engines for marine applications for both propulsion and on-board generation.
A complete product range which meets the strictest regulatory and safety requirements always adapting to the customer´s needs.
Guascor Energy has a network of more than 50 distributors and partners worldwide, which in addition to our own staff, allows us to provide unparalleled proximity and respond to the specific needs of each of our customers at a fast and personalized pace.
