A 4.6 megawatt cogeneration unit is slated for installation at Carleton University by spring of 2019. The facility is designed to supply approximately 40 percent of the campus’ electricity consumption and to contribute to a total energy savings of 17 per cent as part of the university’s recently-updated energy master plan.
Carleton University’s new cogeneration plant will be housed in an expansion to its existing plant building
In addition to electricity the plant will supply heat, or in the summer, cooling, through process steam supplied to a new 1,000 tonne absorption chiller tied into the existing chiller plant in the Steacie Building.
The winner of the design/build contract was ES Fox. Ltd. The turbine is manufactured by Solar Turbines and the boiler is by Rentech Boilers. Energy Manager Gavin Symonds explains that, through a collaboration under the IESO’s SaveONenergy program, Hydro Ottawa will provide an incentive of $5.2 million, based on an estimated annual savings of 26,000 MWh.
The cogeneration plant will not include automatic islanding, but it is being constructed with ‘black-start’ capabilities, Symonds adds. In this manner, it will be possible to start the system in the event of a major power grid failure and to have the system supply the university with a significant amount of electricity.
The university’s master plan targets an overall energy reduction of 2% annually – despite a growth in total campus building floor area of 88%, compared to the base year of 2016, as well as an expected increase of electricity, fuel and water consumption by 66%, 61% and 45% respectively, from 2016 base year levels.
Other items in the master plan include:
• Completion of LED lighting replacement (all exterior lights and tunnel lighting)
• Introduction of a Green Engagement Fund (expansion of the existing $1-million Green Revolving Fund) to allow for smaller projects and ideas that don’t necessarily have a payback but would benefit the campus
• Possible partnerships with the private sector to act as a demonstration host for emerging technologies, and
• Expanded access to energy data, including expansion of energy display screens at key campus locations.