• Energy Efficiency
• Central Plant
• Surgery Addition

Energy Efficiency
LSW proposed and implemented a series of utility modernization projects. Plans were developed for a 1 MW engine-driven cogeneration plant to provide heating, cooling, and power for the central hospital. The project involved the conversion of a natural gas-fired emergency generator for continuous service and the recovery of waste heat to be used by: a new two stage absorption chiller, the heating water and domestic hot water systems, and the high pressure steam system. This project succeeded in completing its return on investment without ever being built. The local utility, not anxious to have a new cogeneration plant in its service territory, negotiated a program to defer the building of the plant and to instead fund other energy options.

Other mechanical and electrical improvements that we designed to pay for themselves within a three-year period included:

• Replacement of Four Existing Centrifugal Chillers with non-CFC based new equipment, totaling 1,900 tons.
• Secondary Chilled Water Pumps were converted to variable flow within the distribution system, saving pump energy at off-peak cooling periods. (Pumping costs reduced by one-half.)
• Air Handler Controls were converted to digital to reset hot deck and cold deck temperatures and minimize wasteful reheating.
• A Surgery Chiller was installed, which lowers the chilled water supply temperature during times of the year when the balance of the chilled water supply can be distributed at a higher temperature, optimizing chiller efficiency.
• A Cooling Tower and Hydronic Economizer replaced inoperative cooling towers and provided a plate/frame heat exchanger to obtain "free cooling" of chilled water when ambient temperatures permit.
• Information Services Building: The new facility provides an uninterruptible power supply and a branch circuiting for the data processing center.