Customer stories Archives | Page 2 of 2

How a biotech company’s life-saving research is supported by microgrid O&M solutions

Posted on April 3, 2024August 15, 2024 by Vicinity Energy

Industry

Life sciences

Location

Cambridge, MA

Square footage

650,000

The customer

Located in Cambridge, MA, a biotechnology company is a global leader in research and development. Spanning a campus of more than 650,000 square feet of laboratory, research, and office space, the company is at the forefront of discovery. This innovative biotechnology company is dedicated to developing cutting-edge treatments to combat diseases while promoting equity and sustainability. The company’s ESG targets, including zero fossil fuel emissions from operations, further highlight its commitment to protect people and the planet.

The challenge

Due to the critical nature of the company’s work and the campus’ large building footprint, the company required an energy solution and alternative to the high cost and poor reliability of its existing local utility services. The existing campus’ thermal energy system was subject to a single point of failure, putting life-saving research at risk to outages. This biotechnology company sought a new energy solution that it could rely on 24/7 to ensure no disruptions to daily mission-critical operations. That’s where Vicinity stepped in.

The solution

Vicinity helped manage the construction and commissioning of a 5.3-megawatt (MW) combined heat and power (CHP) facility for this major biotechnology company and serves as the facility’s long-term operator. CHP is an efficient process that captures waste heat generated from electricity production and converts it into usable thermal energy. As part of the biotechnology company’s microgrid—or small electrical grid that can power multiple buildings either in parallel with or independently from other electric utilities—the CHP runs silently below the Cambridge campus, supplying electricity and high-pressure steam for heating, maintaining stringent humidification levels, and providing sterilization of research equipment, including autoclaves and cages.

Mission-critical reliability

As the operations and maintenance (O&M) provider of the biotechnology company’s microgrid, Vicinity assisted the customer in developing an electrical load shed scheme to accommodate unexpected outages and to prioritize critical loads in research spaces. This strategy ensures the company has control of when and where energy flows through their campus so that there are no surprises or disruptions in their business. As an added reliability assurance, Vicinity’s Cambridge steam network supplies the campus with back-up thermal service.

Optimizing energy efficiency

The CHP facility provides the campus with reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective energy across its campus. Vicinity’s O&M team is also adept at keeping the campus’ energy system working at peak performance, which extends the equipment’s lifetime and results in significant energy efficiency. In fact, the biotechnology company has reduced its annual energy consumption by 25%.

Furthermore, because the campus is connected to Vicinity’s district energy system as a back-up energy source, it can reap the benefits of the electrification upgrades Vicinity makes to our central facilities. As Vicinity incorporates renewable energy sources into our operations, any customer, like this biotechnology company, can join our decarbonization journey.

A trusted and dedicated support team

Vicinity experts were involved in all stages of the initial CHP project—including feasibility and business plan development, equipment selection, negotiation for grid interconnection, fuel supply provisioning, and environmental permitting and commissioning. Currently, Vicinity provides O&M services with a five-member onsite team, working in close collaboration with the biotechnology company. Vicinity’s O&M team manages the maintenance of steam and electrical equipment within campus buildings and manholes on campus. By outsourcing these services to Vicinity’s energy O&M experts, the biotechnology company has access to a pool of knowledge and can focus on what matters most: innovating new cutting-edge treatments for diseases.

Benefits

Access to energy experts

99.99% reliability 

Lifecycle and upfront cost savings

Providing critical
energy needs

Redundant energy
sources

Sterilization of equipment

Van Andel Institute propels cancer and Parkinson’s research with district energy

Posted on April 3, 2024July 18, 2024 by Vicinity Energy

Industry

Life sciences

Location

Grand Rapids, MI

Square footage

400,000

The customer

Home to nearly 500 scientists, educators, and staff, Van Andel Institute (VAI) is a world-class biomedical research and science education organization driven by an urgent desire to improve health and enhance lives. Located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, VAI is at the forefront of researching cancer, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The challenge

During the planning stages of the VAI facility located in Grand Rapids’ “Medical Mile,” the VAI team evaluated several energy solutions. Due to the energy-intensive and environmental requirements of laboratories, VAI needed stringent sterilization, temperature, and humidity controls to support the organization’s daily operations. VAI sought a solution that could meet these energy needs but require less upfront capital and maintenance than developing its own onsite energy plant.

The solution

Leveraging Vicinity’s district energy network proved to be the most cost-effective and sustainable solution for VAI. For over ten years, Vicinity has provided VAI with high-pressure steam for heating, hot water, humidification, equipment sterilization, and decontamination of lab waste.

Driving productive lab processes

VAI leverages district steam for its autoclave equipment, machines that use steam to kill harmful bacteria that could potentially compromise research experiments. District energy provides an efficient solution that VAI can trust so that employees can solely focus on their critical research activities. Vicinity’s 24/7 high-pressure steam has helped scientists become more efficient by relieving them of the time-consuming task of cleaning and sterilizing glassware. With more time to focus on key research, VAI staff can continue to advance their discoveries in human health.

Promoting a sustainable future

Designed by famed architect Rafael Viñoly, VAI’s building is LEED Platinum certified and supports its vision to enhance lives for current and future generations by minimizing its impact on the planet. VAI’s facility incorporates various sustainability features, including photovoltaic rooftop panels, green roofs, a 33,000-gallon rainwater capture and storage system, energy recovery systems, and demand-control ventilation. Vicinity’s green steam further optimizes the facility’s energy efficiency and, thus, helps lower ongoing energy costs. Vicinity has invested more than $10 million in improving Grand Rapids’ district energy infrastructure, resulting in decreased fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As Vicinity continues to upgrade the central facilities as part of Vicinity’s Clean Energy Future, these benefits are passed to the VAI, further solidifying its state-of-the-art facility as a symbol of innovation and sustainability.

Benefits

Operations savings

99.99% reliability 

Meeting stringent
energy needs

How a large, award-winning Boston hospital delivers safety and reliable patient care with Vicinity

Posted on April 3, 2024December 3, 2024 by Vicinity Energy

Industry

Healthcare

Location

Boston, MA

Square footage

620,000

The customer

Located in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area, this world-renowned leader in medicine provides top-quality research and out-patient care. Recognized with multiple distinctions by the U.S. News & World Report, the hospital has a long history of providing quality and compassionate patient care. As part of an integrated healthcare system, the hospital strives to achieve systemwide sustainability goals, including reducing its carbon footprint, incorporating the intersection of climate and health into training, decreasing food waste, and more.

The challenge

In 2016, the hospital added research and clinical space to accelerate breakthroughs in its research and patient care for neurologic, orthopedic, and rheumatologic conditions—critical operations that rely on an uninterrupted energy supply. In addition to this new facility, an adjacent medical building also needed energy services—for a total of 620,000 square feet of research and patient space. The hospital sought an experienced energy provider that could provide 24/7 reliable service. The hospital’s top concerns and priorities were reliability, efficiency, and safety.

The solution

As part of the plans for the new building, a 4-megawatt combined heat and power (CHP) facility was constructed to support the campus’ heating, domestic hot water, and power needs. CHP simultaneously generates steam and electricity, and the onsite facility can support 80% of the two building’s energy needs. In combination with the CHP, the hospital’s two boilers provide steam at 54,000 lbs/hour. To ensure that the energy facility delivers uninterrupted energy to carry out the hospital’s mission-critical operations, the hospital selected Vicinity to manage operations and maintenance (O&M).

Reliability when it matters most

As a microgrid—a power network that can operate independently from the electric grid—Vicinity can operate the CHP facility in island mode via a black-start sequence to ensure an uninterrupted energy supply, meaning they can restart without the aid of external electrical transmission. This approach helps the hospital minimize risk in the event that there is an unforeseen grid outage, eliminating disruptions to vital patient care and research.

Delivering operational savings and peak efficiencies

Because the hospital is producing its own energy in-house, it was able to recoup its investment in the CHP within several years. Vicinity’s O&M delivers added savings and maximum efficiencies by leveraging a lifecycle approach, a thorough commissioning startup plan, a preventive maintenance program, and performance guarantees.

Driving continuous improvement with expert operations and maintenance

By outsourcing long-term operation, management, and maintenance to Vicinity, the hospital has access to a pool of knowledge and can focus on advancing its core mission. In collaboration with the hospital, Vicinity proactively identifies opportunities for improvement and implements creative solutions in a condensed timeframe. These ongoing maintenance projects help extend the life expectancy of the hospital’s energy equipment; ensure uninterrupted and reliable service; and make the hospital safer for employees, visitors, and patients.

Examples of impactful preventative maintenance projects Vicinity completed in partnership with the hospital include:

- Steam header warm-up: Vicinity designed and installed a steam header warm-up system that properly warms up each line of the steam header. This is an important upgrade as it collects steam generated from the boilers and eliminates any pressure drops between the boiler and the connected steam lines, ensuring a proper warm-up of all steam lines and extending the life expectancy of the steam system’s isolation valve.

- Air compressor dryer systems: Vicinity helped interconnect air compressor dryer systems with refrigerant dryer air, improving the air systems’ efficiency by 15-20%. Leveraging refrigerant dryer air eliminates moisture in the air compressor dryer systems, which can damage system equipment overtime.

- Chemical injection ports: Vicinity installed chemical injection ports in each boiler to improve their longevity by ensuring each boiler maintains the correct chemistry at all times.

- Redundant equipment: As Vicinity identifies single point of failure areas on an ongoing basis, the O&M team addresses them in a systematic fashion in collaboration with the hospital. These projects include redundant cooling pumps, redundant facility air compressors that are used for plant control air, redundant starting air compressors used to start the CHP engine, and modification of the deaerator and condensate tank piping to allow for maximum redundancy in the event a failure occurs in either tanks.

- Variable Frequency Drive (VFD): Currently, Vicinity is optimizing the facilities’ condensate and feedwater pumps by installing VFDs, devices that control the speed of electric motors by adjusting the frequency and voltage of the power. This approach will allow the pumps to ramp up or down based on need, enabling the hospital to utilize them at lower rates and save on energy costs.

Benefits

Reduced carbon footprint

97.74% reliability 

Operations savings

Access to energy experts

Meeting stringent
energy needs

Improved safety

Reliable district energy heats Maryland’s oldest cultural institution, the Maryland Center for History and Culture

Posted on April 3, 2024December 3, 2024 by Vicinity Energy

Industry

Hospitality

Location

Baltimore, MD

Square footage

100,000

The customer

Founded in 1844, the Maryland Historical Society, now known as the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC), educates future generations about Maryland’s rich past. Serving more than 80,000 students and teachers annually, MCHC is based in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood and houses an impressive collection of over 7 million historic documents and 350,000 objects in its museum, library, pavilion, and exhibit storage space. As the organization preserves and celebrates the state’s history, MCHC continues to evolve and expand its space to achieve its mission.

The challenge

Due to its increasing popularity and expansion efforts, MCHC needed a reliable heating solution to keep its visitors comfortable and historical contents preserved. Additionally, the organization was focused on reducing its carbon footprint and repurposing resources wherever possible, including city water.

The solution

For more than three decades, Baltimore’s district energy system has supplied thermal energy to the institution to power onsite heat exchangers and hot water tanks. Vicinity’s green steam reliably provides heat and hot water to the institution, a more sustainable and economical alternative to onsite boilers.

A history of reliability and precision

With 99.99% reliability, the institution is safeguarded against interruptions of service—enabling it to provide a comfortable experience to its increasing number of annual visitors. This level of reliability also supports preservation efforts. As the organization houses important documents, artwork, and exhibits that require specific temperatures, MCHC relies on district energy to provide steam at the precise level needed to maintain the delicate and historic objects.

Recycling with purpose

Within the process of converting steam to energy, a portion of this steam reverts to condensate, which is often cooled with city water and discarded as waste. However, in 2014, the institution devised a creative solution to pipe the condensate into an adjacent, outdoor reflecting pool—saving on sewer charges and city water costs. By recycling the condensate, instead of discarding it, MCHC not only reduces costs, but also minimizes its impact on the planet and surrounding community by conserving water, a limited and important resource.

Committed to a greener tomorrow

Not only has this historic facility made strides in conserving water, MCHC has made strides in reducing its carbon emissions by utilizing district energy. Because approximately 50% of the steam delivered to Baltimore customers is generated through renewables, MCHC has access to a green energy solution that contributes to a cleaner future. MCHC pays homage to the state’s vibrant history while simultaneously forging ahead into the future by educating young generations and actively adopting environmentally responsible practices.

Benefits

Reduced carbon footprint

99.99% reliability 

Recycled condensate

Precise steam control

Cost savings

Access to industry experts

Clarendon Group reduces energy consumption and costs at historic mixed-use Boston building

Posted on April 3, 2024July 18, 2024 by Vicinity Energy

Industry

Commercial real estate

Location

Boston, MA

Square footage

112,000

The customer

Located along the Freedom Trail in Boston’s Downtown Crossing district, 10-24 School Street has been an iconic landmark since 1925. Originally constructed for the former Boston Five Cent Savings Bank, the 8-floor, 112,000 square-foot building has welcomed a wide range of office and retail tenants over the years. Since 2012, Walgreens Pharmacy’s flagship store has been one of its largest occupants.

Clarendon Group USA (Clarendon), the building’s owner, is a full-service real estate management firm. As part of Clarendon’s core mission, the company strives to cultivate safe, clean, and sustainable environments by promoting tenant satisfaction and retention, lowering operating expenses, and adapting to market trends to maintain a competitive edge.

The challenge

Building on a 40-year history of utilizing district energy steam for heating and hot water, Clarendon sought additional strategies to optimize its energy usage at 10-24 School Street to save on energy consumption and reduce costs.

The solution

Vicinity partnered with Clarendon to improve the building’s efficiency by upgrading the original heating infrastructure and developing a creative strategy to recycle the steam system’s condensate.

Upgrading infrastructure for maximum efficiency

Vicinity collaborated with Clarendon to upgrade the building’s original heating infrastructure, which included removing unnecessary piping from the old steam system and installing new pipes, valves, traps, and insulation. These enhancements resulted in immediate cost savings and energy efficiency. Despite significant upticks in heating degree days from 2023 to 2024, Clarendon has seen only a small increase in steam usage due to the efficiency upgrades.

Getting creative to conserve energy

Vicinity and Clarendon also partnered on another efficiency project to reuse the building’s waste heat in the form of steam condensate. Although this high temperature water is often cooled with city water and discarded as waste, Clarendon looked for another way to reuse this condensate, lower water usage, and cut costs. With Vicinity’s support, Clarendon installed a heat exchanger that uses condensate to preheat domestic hot water before it goes into an electric hot water heater. As a result of these efforts, the building not only saves on sewer charges and city water costs, but also conserves water.

As a LEED Gold certified building, 10-24 School Street stands out as a sustainable model that honors the building’s rich legacy, while meeting the demands of modern tenants. With Clarendon leading the charge to optimize the building’s efficiency, Vicinity continues to partner with the customer to collaboratively develop creative solutions and achieve a cleaner tomorrow.

Benefits

Improved energy
efficiency

99.99% reliability 

Recycled condensate

Metropolitan Partnership frees up valuable amenity space for residents

Posted on April 3, 2024December 3, 2024 by Vicinity Energy

Industry

Residential real estate

Location

Baltimore, MD

Square footage

482,000

The customer

Located in the heart of Baltimore with extensive views of the harbor, 10 Light Street is one of the most architecturally significant buildings dominating the city’s skyline. Built in 1929, the 34-story, 482,000-square-foot Art Deco building has a long history of leveraging district energy for reliable heating and domestic hot water.

The challenge

Originally used for banking and commercial offices, 10 Light Street was renovated into 400 luxury apartment units by the building owners, Metropolitan Partnership, in 2014. As part of the renovation project and effort to accommodate the growing housing market, Metropolitan Partnership sought a creative cooling solution to address its antiquated chilling and cooling towers—all while reducing capital costs and carbon footprint.

The solution

Because of its longstanding partnership with Vicinity, Metropolitan Partnership removed the building’s failing chilling and cooling towers and seamlessly tapped into Vicinity’s district chilled water network. This network incorporates thermal storage systems that produce chilled water from ice made using off-peak electricity—taking pressure off electrical grids during summer peak capacity periods and helping reduce electric capacity charges.

Removing bulk and adding cutting-edge amenities

By converting to Vicinity’s chilled water system in 2014, the building removed onsite chillers and cooling towers and freed up valuable space no longer needed for large onsite mechanical equipment. As a result, residents could enjoy new amenities, including a roof-top pool, skyline lounge, a 42,000-square-foot Under Armour Performance Center, and indoor and outdoor dog parks. These amenities are essential in attracting and retaining residents by making the building a desired, premium-level living experience.

Achieving a greener future

Because Vicinity leverages renewables to generate approximately 50% of the steam delivered to Baltimore customers and 100% carbon-free electricity via emission-free energy certificates (EFECs), 10 Light Street benefits from 99.99% reliable thermal energy that provides uninterrupted service to tenants while also contributing to a greener future. District energy not only helped reduce the building’s carbon footprint, but also its impact on the surrounding Baltimore community and planet.

Benefits

Reduced carbon footprint

99.99% reliability 

Maximized building space

Walters Art Museum preserves historic artifacts with district energy

Posted on February 5, 2024December 3, 2024 by Adam Hoyle

Industry

Hospitality

Location

Baltimore, MD

Square footage

70,000

The customer

Located in Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon neighborhood, the Walters Art Museum was established in 1934 and has served as a valuable resource for the local and regional community and visitors ever since. The museum’s collection spans seven millennia, from 5,000 BCE to the 21st century, and encompasses 36,000 objects across a 5-building campus.

The Walters Art Museum aims to bring art and people together for enjoyment, discovery, and learning. The museum’s strategic plan outlines the Walters as a transformative force in the Baltimore region, with sustainability playing a big part in achieving this vision.

The challenge

Deteriorating infrastructure threatened the museum’s capacity to maintain the stringent humidity levels necessary to conserve its invaluable collections. With the prohibitive costs of modernizing and maintaining the current boiler system, the Walters was confronted with a critical decision: to replace one of its boilers or to connect to the district steam network.

The solution

Given district energy’s long history of providing reliable energy to buildings in Baltimore, the Walters Art Museum’s leadership team decided to partner with Vicinity to meet their essential heating and humidification needs. Vicinity helped replace the museum’s traditional boiler system and transitioned the remaining functional boilers to provide backup energy. Over this 20-year partnership, the Walters Art Museum receives approximately 12,000 pounds of clean steam per hour (pph).

“In order to preserve the historic artifacts housed in the Walters Art Museum, our buildings must meet precise humidification requirements. The reliability of district energy, in addition to its ability to meet the specifications of the museum’s exhibitions while also reducing our carbon footprint, makes Vicinity an excellent solution for Walters’s energy needs,” states Andrea B. and John H. Laporte Director Julia Marciari-Alexander.

Achieving substantial cost savings

Rather than investing in a new boiler, Walters benefited from the minimal up-front capital costs associated with connecting to Vicinity’s district energy network. Immediately, the museum could reallocate these capital funds to support its exhibitions and other core business operations. In addition to this capital avoidance, the museum has seen reduced energy costs due to enhanced operational efficiency.

Driving reliability and resiliency through uninterrupted service

Reliability is paramount for the Walters Art Museum to continuously protect thousands of historic art objects with precise humidity control. In contrast to the museum’s failing boilers, district energy provides 99.99% reliability. In the event of a power outage, extreme climate event, or supply interruption from the public grid, Vicinity can continue to provide uninterrupted energy operations due to its ability to black start and isolate issues. In addition, the museum can rely on Vicinity’s licensed and trained energy experts with experience responding to various emergencies.

This level of resilience is essential to Walters’ overall success, enabling seamless museum operations, constant protection of the museum’s collection, and positive experiences for visitors.

“Daily, we have noticed improved control over our environmental conditions. This is due to the reduced downtime we previously experienced with our aging boilers and related equipment,” states Senior Director of Building Operations Evander Toney.

Reducing environmental impact

As Walters Art Museum’s programs, exhibitions, and resources aim to strengthen and better the local community, leveraging a sustainable energy solution helps support this initiative. Vicinity leverages renewables to generate approximately 50% of the steam delivered to Baltimore customers and 100% carbon-free electricity via emission-free energy certificates (EFECs), enabling the museum to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the Walters Art Museum reduced over 4,000 dekatherm of natural gas in December 2023.

Even better, Vicinity enables Walters to switch to future carbon-free, renewable energy sources in the future. As Vicinity advances its net zero carbon plan across all its operations, customers like Walters will continue to receive greener energy solutions and make strides towards decarbonization.

Industry

Location

Square footage

The customer

The challenge

The solution

Mission-critical reliability

Optimizing energy efficiency

A trusted and dedicated support team

Benefits

Access to energy experts

99.99% reliability

Lifecycle and upfront cost savings

Providing critical energy needs

Redundant energy sources

Sterilization of equipment

Industry

Location

Square footage

The customer

The challenge

The solution

Driving productive lab processes

Promoting a sustainable future

Benefits

Operations savings

99.99% reliability

Meeting stringent energy needs

Industry

Location

Square footage

The customer

The challenge

The solution

Reliability when it matters most

Delivering operational savings and peak efficiencies

Driving continuous improvement with expert operations and maintenance

Benefits

Reduced carbon footprint

97.74% reliability

Operations savings

Access to energy experts

Meeting stringent energy needs

Improved safety

Industry

Location

Square footage

The customer

The challenge

The solution

A history of reliability and precision

Recycling with purpose

Committed to a greener tomorrow

Benefits

Reduced carbon footprint

99.99% reliability

Recycled condensate

Precise steam control

Cost savings

Access to industry experts

Industry

Location

Square footage

The customer

The challenge

The solution

Upgrading infrastructure for maximum efficiency

Getting creative to conserve energy

Benefits

Improved energy efficiency

99.99% reliability

Recycled condensate

Industry

Location

Square footage

The customer

The challenge

The solution

Removing bulk and adding cutting-edge amenities

Achieving a greener future

99.99% reliability 

Providing critical
energy needs

Redundant energy
sources

99.99% reliability 

Meeting stringent
energy needs

97.74% reliability 

Meeting stringent
energy needs

99.99% reliability 

Improved energy
efficiency

99.99% reliability 

99.99% reliability 

99.99% reliability 