Retrofitting district heating and cooling concepts to an established college campus
- Ross Murphy Finkelstein, Inc., Baltimore, MD (United States)
The administrators of Goucher College`s physical plant were challenged to develop a 5 year plan which could provide reliable heating and cooling to more than 600,000 square feet of facilities at low operating and maintenance cost, as well as to avoid costly emergency repairs and replacement of existing 30 year old heating and cooling equipment. A life cycle cost analysis comparing replacement of individual building heating and cooling systems to a central heating and cooling plant was performed using present worth techniques. The use of natural gas cooling, thermal energy storage, high distribution system delta T, variable speed distribution pumping and combinations of these and other energy and demand saving concepts were considered. A new central plant incorporating thermal (ice) storage, high delta T distribution and variable speed pumping proved to be the most cost effective approach. Qualitative benefits including improved system reliability, improved campus aesthetics, reduction of noise levels in academic and residential areas, reduction of air emissions and the elimination of buried fuel oil storage tanks were realized. The paper will present the economic analysis, design concepts and implementation plan developed as part of a multi-step/multi-year modernization plan.
- OSTI ID:
- 269660
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960213--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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