LOCATION: Amherst, MA
START: Dec. 2017
COMPLETION: May 2018
FIRM ROLE: Engineer, Planner, Consultant
Waldron Engineering & Construction, Inc. developed a comprehensive, 8,760-hr campus utility model that was used to evaluate various alternatives for adding steam production capacity to the existing Central Heating Plant. The model included existing high and low pressure steam generators, an existing combustion turbine with heat recovery, two backpressure steam turbines, three steam pressures, and multiple fuels, as well as various new technologies that were considered for addition. Tariff models for natural gas and grid electricity based on hourly equipment dispatch. Electric feeder loading was incorporated into the model, such that distribution constraints limited the electrical output of the generators, which enabled evaluation of savings associated with the infrastructure upgrade alternatives. The model was used to calculate the GHG emissions benefits/costs for various operational strategies being tested. The study incorporated assessments of financial/ environmental impact of batteries, additional renewable generation, and energy conservation measures on campus. The planning tool Waldron created, enabled an in-depth analysis of the financial and environmental outcomes associated with integrated various technologies into the UMass micro-grid. The model was used to explore the cost per unit of GHG reduction associated with various technology options, including building-integrated renewable technologies such as solar thermal, geothermal, and pellet-fuel biomass boilers.