Utility Master Planning

capacity, reliability, and efficiency for the next 20 years; yes please!

As your campus grows and changes, so do the energy demands your buildings put on your heating, cooling, electrical, and water/wastewater/stormwater utilities. A Utility Master Plan (UMP) will serve as a road map to keep your campus systems capable of serving your energy and infrastructure needs reliably and efficiently.

learn more about utility master plans by system type:

Heating your campus, especially in the northeast, can be one of your more costly activities, and there is no going without heat. Boilers and other heating equipment are costly; add the annual operating costs that include labor, maintenance, and fuel, and the total costs can be enormous. The good news is that high costs are a breeding ground for savings opportunities.

Fuel prices, technology, and demands all change over time, meaning what was right for your campus 10 or 20 years ago, might not be your best option today, and you could be headed for some savings – all you need is a plan! A heating utility master plan will look at all your options, based on your goals and future needs, to give you a clear and actionable plan filled with well-informed projects in which you can be confident. Tracking future results will demonstrate that you’re on the right track. Here are some of the campus and building heating options we routinely analyze:

  • Centralization
  • Decentralization
  • Hot water & steam
  • Fuel distribution and storage
  • Natural Gas
  • Biomass
  • Oil / Coal
  • Cogeneration
  • Alternative energy

Like heating, two primary options exist for campus cooling: centralization and decentralization. With most cooling powered by electricity, usage and demand are the primary drivers of the cooling question. In the past, campus demands would have needed to be high to justify the costs of a centralized chiller or cooling plant. With Combined Heat & Power (CHP) and Combined Cooling, Heat & Power (CCHP) system technology advancements and off-peak generation and storage options, centralized chillers are becoming a more viable solution for campuses of all sizes. On the other hand, decentralization or partial decentralization might be in your campus’s best interest; a cooling utility master plan will analyze your unique situation to help you make an informed decision.

  • Variable speed centrifugal chillers
  • Absorption chillers
  • Thermal storage tanks
  • Cooling towers

Electrical analysis of a campus needs to consider existing equipment condition and future demands to identify the power distribution system that is right for your campus. Building operations, energy conservation opportunities, and emergency generation and operations goals need to be considered and can influence your system plan.

  • Distribution & equipment
  • Voltage
  • Emergency generation
  • Centralized
  • Decentralized

Buildings need adequate water supply and somewhere to channel the gray water, wastewater, and stormwater. Evaluating these systems will ensure proper capacities and improve reliability and efficiency by identifying deficiencies and opportunities for improvements.

  • Pressure testing
  • Pump testing
  • Capacity testing
  • Inflow & Infiltration (I&I)
  • Manhole inspections

Be confident in your campus utilities

When you make informed decisions, you’re confident, and confidence is contagious and leads to buy-in, progress, and accomplishing goals.

Our mechanical, electrical, civil, and energy engineers and consultants want to hear about your goals and where your campus is going to be in 5 years… 10 years… 20 years…

610.373.6667 or contact us

START WITH AN ASSESSMENT

A Utility Condition Assessment (UCA) is the first step in a Utility Master Plan, and there can be practicality in a standalone UCA.

learn more about UCAs

What our clients have to say: View All Testimonials »

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