National Institutes of Health
The Challenge
Founded in 1887, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) located just outside of Washington, D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland is one of the world's foremost medical research centers. It is also the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for all. Its active, densely populated campus comprises 27 separate institutes and centers on 300 acres and continues to grow.
Including more than 9 million square feet of laboratories, research hospital rooms, teaching facilities, and offices, a planned expansion of 1 million square feet over three years would require a dramatic increase in electricity and steam supply for its 75 buildings.
The need for additional electricity and steam generation to meet these growing needs was obvious; however, NIH was presented with other challenges. Air quality was a major obstacle to building a generating plant on site. Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods were extremely interested in the impact on their community. In addition, project financing was also a challenge. NIH had no budget for building a new facility and little chance of getting the money into their appropriations over the next few years.
With so many factors to consider when planning a project of this magnitude, NIH knew that they needed the expertise and support of a partner like Pepco Energy Services to ensure long term success.
The Solution
A unique partnership with Pepco Energy resulted in the development of one of the largest cogeneration power plants ever built for the federal government. Pepco Energy both constructed and operates this new $38 million facility which it plans to operate and maintain through 2014. The 23-megawatt gas-fired cogeneration plant will reduce future CO2 emissions by approximately 100,000 tons per year and cut estimated annual energy-related savings costs by $55 million over 15 years. Additionally, it will provide NIH with 180,000 pounds per hour of dry, saturated steam to the NIH steam distribution system.
The highly efficient cogeneration of steam and electricity along with the planned air pollutant emission controls will reduce future criteria pollutant emissions (NOx, CO, VOC, SO2 and particulate matter) by approximately 600 tons per year compared to the separate generation of steam in a new boiler and generation of electricity within the power grid. NIH now has five gas- fired boilers, and the steam production from the cogeneration plant saves it from having to build another boiler, which provides part of the emissions savings.
With other changes to be made at the NIH boiler house, the new system will reduce criteria pollutant emissions and particulate matter by approximately 800 tons per year compared to NIH�s 1991 to 1992 baseline emissions.
NIH and Pepco Energy utilized leading edge technology: an ABB GT10 combustion turbine which is equipped with the newest generation of dry low combustion technology, the AEV combustor.
Meeting other energy challenges meant retrofitting or replacing 4,668 lighting fixtures with energy-saving T8 lamps and electronic ballast, metal halide, LED exits or compact fluorescent bulbs. Water fixtures were replaced with efficient new 1.6 GPF valves, saving countless gallons per year campus wide.
Because of a strong partnership, the development of the NIH cogeneration plant plan has succeeded in meeting every challenge it faced. This groundbreaking project will guide other government agencies in meeting their needs.
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