Four FlexEnergy microturbines soon will become an integral part of a comprehensive energy savings project for the Longwood Central School District in Long Island, New York.
The Flex turbines will include an integrated hot water cogeneration module to allow for a mechanical connection to multiple facility hot water systems, as well as absorption chilling.
FlexEnergy’s Supervisory Control Master (SCM) will control two Flex GT250S microturbines installed at the high school and an additional SCM will control two Flex GT250S microturbines at the middle school, managing the turbines for import control with dual mode capabilities to operate uninterrupted under grid isolated conditions when utility power is not available.
FlexEnergy designed and sold its synchronous generator-based microturbines and accompanying SCMs to the school district through its channel partner, MDP Energy of Long Island. Wiedersum Associates Architects consulted with MDP Energy on the cogeneration portion of the $21 million capital improvement/energy bond project, $8 million of which is earmarked for cogeneration and related equipment.
Longwood Central School District is adding 300 tons of air conditioning as part of this capital bond project. The Flex turbines alone will produce the equivalent of 120 tons of air conditioning through an absorption chiller by capturing waste heat.
Longwood’s current blended energy rate is $0.198 per kWh. The Flex microturbines will bring the high school and middle school costs down to $0.09 per kWh, reducing energy costs by over 50 percent.
FlexEnergy expects to deliver the units by mid-August, and commissioning is expected to occur in the 4th quarter of 2015.
