Case Studies of Onsite Energy Systems for Healthcare Facilities

Abstract

This paper will present two case studies of municipal utility owned and operated combined heat and power (CHP) systems. The first of these two systems is located at a new hospital development in Austin, TX, the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. Combining the high efficiency, low emission, 4.6 MW Solar Turbines Mercury-50 combustion turbine, a 1000 Ton Trane steam absorption chiller and an 8000 Ton-hr Thermal Energy Storage tank, this onsite energy system is designed to achieve operating efficiencies in excess of 70%, while allowing the hospital to be fully operational under grid-independent scenarios. The second system is located at a new hospital development in Gainesville, FL, the Shands Cancer Hospital Campus. Similar to the Dell project, GRU’s system will serve all of the hospital’s electric and thermal loads, will be interconnected with the local grid, and will allow the hospital to be fully operational under grid-independent scenarios.