Utility Master Planning

Heating your campus, especially in the northeast, can be one of your more costly activities, and there is no going without heat. Boilers and other heating equipment are costly; add the annual operating costs that include labor, maintenance, and fuel, and the total costs can be enormous. The good news is that high costs are a breeding ground for savings opportunities.

Fuel prices, technology, and demands all change over time, meaning what was right for your campus 10 or 20 years ago, might not be your best option today, and you could be headed for some savings – all you need is a plan! A heating utility master plan will look at all your options, based on your goals and future needs, to give you a clear and actionable plan filled with well-informed projects in which you can be confident. Tracking future results will demonstrate that you’re on the right track. Here are some of the campus and building heating options we routinely analyze:

Like heating, two primary options exist for campus cooling: centralization and decentralization. With most cooling powered by electricity, usage and demand are the primary drivers of the cooling question. In the past, campus demands would have needed to be high to justify the costs of a centralized chiller or cooling plant. With Combined Heat & Power (CHP) and Combined Cooling, Heat & Power (CCHP) system technology advancements and off-peak generation and storage options, centralized chillers are becoming a more viable solution for campuses of all sizes. On the other hand, decentralization or partial decentralization might be in your campus’s best interest; a cooling utility master plan will analyze your unique situation to help you make an informed decision.

Electrical analysis of a campus needs to consider existing equipment condition and future demands to identify the power distribution system that is right for your campus. Building operations, energy conservation opportunities, and emergency generation and operations goals need to be considered and can influence your system plan.

Buildings need adequate water supply and somewhere to channel the gray water, wastewater, and stormwater. Evaluating these systems will ensure proper capacities and improve reliability and efficiency by identifying deficiencies and opportunities for improvements.