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University of Illinois at Chicago West Campus, 21 MW District Energy CHP System - Case Study
The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system, located at the West Campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), has an electric generating capacity of 21 megawatts and can generate up to 360,000 Ib/hr of steam to provide building heat, domestic hot water, and absorption cooling to the various buildings of the UIC West Campus. At the heart of the UIC West Campus CHP system lies three 7.0 MW Solar Taurus turbines. The $36 million CHP plant, installed in 2001, realized annual savings between $5 and $7 million and a simple payback below 7 years. Operating in conjunction with the UIC East Campus CHP facility (online since 1993), the CHP systems provide service to the entire university`s 8- million square feet and over 27,000 students.
Background
The existing boiler plant at the UIC West Campus incorporated a central steam system that was originally owned and operated by the local electric utility, Commonwealth Edison. Walk through steam tunnels provided piping of steam to the various campus buildings and no centrally chilled water service or electric generation existed at the time prior to the 2001 CHP installation. With the early success and experience of the East Campus 20.2 MW CHP system, located one mile from the West Campus, CHP seemed to be an ideal solution and upgrade to the existing West Campus operating facilities. The two CHP plants today are connected through a 69 kV tie line down Roosevelt Road that that allows a high degree of flexibility and reliability between the two campuses. The major buildings served on the West Campus by the CHP Facility include:
- UIC Hospital and Outpatient Buildings
- Rush Presbyterian Hospital
- School of Pharmacy
- School of Dentistry
- School of Nursing
- Residence Areas
- Associated Buildings
