Stanford University District Energy System

Stanford University District Energy System Stanford University, California
Stanford, USAPDF Summary  
The Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) project is a $438 million major transformation of the campus district energy system.  The transformation is from gas fired combined heat and power with steam distribution to electrically powered combined heat and cooling with hot water distribution.  When completed in April 2015, the new heat recovery system will be 52% more efficient than the existing cogeneration system; immediately cut Stanford’s Category I and II GHG emissions in half; save 20% of Stanford’s drinking water supply; and save $303 million (20%) over the next 35 years compared to the existing system.The heart of SESI is heat recovery- approximately 70% of waste heat from the campus chilled water system (currently being discharged out evaporative cooling towers) will be reused to meet 80% of campus heating loads through the use of industrial heat recovery chillers and conversion of the campus heat distribution system from steam to hot water.  SESI includes:• installation of a new electrically powered central energy facility built around heat recovery;• demolition of the existing cogeneration plant; • installation of 20 miles of new hot water distribution piping to replace the campus steam system; • conversion of 155 building connections from steam to hot water; • installation of a new campus high voltage substation. SESI is unique and innovative in design, implementation and impact.  SESI advances heat recovery in district energy to scales heretofore unseen.  It is achieving direct and immediate environmental improvements and cost savings at a dramatic scale, while opening a flexible and lasting path for Stanford to continually achieve sustainability. SESI combines cutting edge technology from both North American and European district energy systems; its development has led to the creation of new state of the art district energy plant operating software and spawned a startup company; and it is expected to be amongst the most efficient trigeneration district energy systems in the world.