California State University Fullerton,
CA - Central Heating and Cooling Plant
The central plant
upgrade and expansion supports the 24-building campus
of 2,480,000 square feet. The unique design concepts
developed by Owen for use on this project have resulted
in an all-electric central heating and cooling plant
that is reliable, economical, energy-efficient,
and virtually zero-polluting. Our engineers helped
secure contributory funding for this project from
Southern California Edison (SCE) and South Coast
Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) who are
interested in showcasing this innovative approach
as a model for the energy-efficient, zero-polluting
central plant of the future in Southern California.
The cooling plant
includes three new 1,200-ton electrical centrifugal
chillers in series; a new two-cell architectural
cooling tower; 2,530,000 gallons of chilled water
thermal energy storage (TES) (37,000 ton-hours);
and a variable flow chilled water distribution system.
The TES, the electrical chillers and the cooling
tower are shut down during the expensive on-peak
electrical rate period, saving money and reducing
on-peak electrical demand.
The heating plant
consists of a heat recovery chiller that produces
19 million Btu's per hour for campus heating from
chiller waste heat; 466,000 gallons of hot water
thermal energy storage; two electric boilers for
supplemental and back-up heating only on non-on-peak
electricity; and a variable flow, low temperature
hot water distribution system. The new central plant
is now fully operational, providing the University
with reliable heating and cooling, as well as substantial
savings in energy costs and operating labor.
HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL
HOSPITAL, Pasadena
Huntington Memorial
Hospital in Pasadena, California. HMH is a major,
acute-care, medical center that has ambitious
plans for renovation and expansion.Our energy
auditing staff conducted a site visit and interviewed
key hospital facilities personnel on existing
systems and future expansion plans. Several energy
conservation measures (ECM's) were developed and
analyzed for economic feasibility.
• Energy Efficient
Boiler Plant
• Cooling Tower Fans Variable Frequency
Drives
• Air Handling System Replacements
• Reduction of Gift Shop Lighting
These four ECM's were projected
to save $525,000 a year in energy costs. In addition,
many of the ECM's represented critical replacements
of aging, obsolete equipment and systems with
new, modernized equipment and systems. Our work
also developed concepts for future energy-efficient
central plant development and alternative energy
generation prospects given HMH’s ambitious
expansion plans. In our recommendations, a new
central plant would serve all of the existing
and planned facilities. Since much of the new
central plant could be developed anew, it could
become a showcase energy facility. Typical components
of this new central plant are:
• Co generation for simultaneous
production of electricity and steam from recovered
waste heat.
• A hybrid chiller plant
of electrical centrifugal chillers using co generated
electricity and absorption chillers using co generated
steam.
• Chilled water thermal
energy storage (TES) to minimize demand for on-peak
power and to even out electricity and steam demand
profiles for more economical use of co generated
electricity and steam.
California State
University Polytechnic (Cal Poly), Pomona, CA
Owen commissioned three major
campus buildings through the UC/CSU/IOU Energy
Efficiency Partnership Monitoring-Based Commissioning
program. The commissioning process focused on
developing the proper sequences of operation and
then commissioning the HVAC systems so that they
operate optimally, providing comfort, safety,
and energy efficiency.
