When the Princeton Healthcare System planned a new 630,000-square-foot acute-care hospital in Plainsboro, N.J., it explored non-traditional energy-efficiency solutions to increase cost savings, according to an article on the Microgrid Knowledge website.
The facility installed a combined heat and power (CHP) plant that would produce enough electricity onsite to power the entire facility, without having to draw from the local grid.
The plant would also generate sufficient amounts of steam for heating and chilled water for air conditioning the hospital year-round.
This solution enhances the hospital’s energy reliability at an overall cost that is significantly less than needed to provide and implement these energy sources individually.