New CHP Source Online at Berkshire Medical

Berkshire Health Systems and A/Z have completed the replacement of the combined heat and power (CHP) system serving its primary care facility in Pittsfield, MA.

Berkshire Medical Center, the Pittsfield-based teaching hospital and UMass Medical affiliate, plays a vital role in the local community. Its repeated national recognition as a top healthcare services provider has been made possible through its talented staff and diverse range of capabilities. Like other major medical facilities, Berkshire Medical Center operations are driven by an internal central utility plant. With reliability paramount to patient safety and operational continuity, the System engaged A/Z to integrate CHP technology into its plant.

A/Z’s diverse in-house services allowed our team to offer an integrated design-build solution to Berkshire Health Systems. Our team of engineers began their efforts by conducting a detailed analysis of the hospital’s electrical and thermal energy usage. This effort was paramount to the selection of a CHP system that would provide adequate current and future capacity while also supporting a reasonable ROI based on annual energy savings.

The selected CHP system is driven by a Guascor reciprocating engine capable of delivering 722 kW of 480-volt electricity through the hospital’s utility infrastructure as well as thermal energy for sterilization and auxiliary systems (e.g., domestic hot water and ice melt systems). Additionally, an absorption chiller allows for the CHP system to support the hospital’s heavy cooling load across the warmer months of the year. In addition to these benefits, the system is expected to reduce the hospital’s CO₂ emissions by more than 1,000 tons per year.

This successful project joins our large and growing portfolio of distributed generation systems successfully implemented for the healthcare sector and other organizations with demanding energy requirements and mission critical business needs. You can find more examples on our Utilities & Distributed Generation market page.