The CHP Plant features a Mitsubshi engine, the first of its kind in the Americas, that has 18 cylinders operating 24 hours a day. The engine is fed natural gas that supplies 5.5 megawatts originally sized to meet a third of the campus energy demand at a cleaner, lower cost. It is 75-80% more efficient than a conventional power plant and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 30%. The 9,586 metric tons of carbon dioxide that the plant deters from entering the atmosphere is the same as taking 1,880 cars off the road. Water exiting the cooling engine flows to the heat exchanger with accompanying waste heat energy. This energy is recaptured and converted to refrigerant to be fed into our chilled water loop used for UCF’s air conditioning.

“This tour enabled UCF to showcase our team’s efforts and highlight some of the larger successes in energy management and carbon reduction to professionals and peers in our industry from around the world,” reflected Curt Wade, Director of Utilities & Energy Services. Not only that, the CHP Plant serves as an on-site mechanism of campus energy production, enabling the UCF community a more tangible understanding of its operation.