Stanford University - Stanford, USA​

About Stanford University

Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) project represents a transformation of university energy supply from a 100% fossil-fuel-based combined heat and power plant to grid-sourced electricity and a more efficient electric heat recovery system.

Challenges

• Stanford University sought to radically reduce its
  energy, fossil fuels, and water consumption.
• They needed to replace an end-of-life gas-fired
  trigeneration plant.

Solutions

• Johnson Controls OpenBlue technologies deployed to deliver reduced energy and water use in the central plant
• Key features of the CHC system include:
  • Large heat recovery chillers (heat pumps)
    
  • Replacing steam production and distribution with hot water
    
  • Both hot and cold water thermal energy storage
    
  • Advanced “model predictive control” energy management software

Results

• Increased system efficiency with 6% more heat recovery
• 17% reduction in peak energy demand - 7.3 MW (35.9 MW vs 43.2MW)
• This combined with the energy use savings translated to ~$500,000 per year (10%) in cost savings vs highly efficient, modern plant baseline
• Reduced campus greenhouse gas emissions by 68% (and growing)
• Reduced domestic water use by an additional 15%
• Saved $459 million over Business as usual case over next 35 years