Hotel Nikko San Francisco recently installed two Capstone C65 (65kW) microturbines to increase energy efficiency by simultaneously generating electricity for the building’s power and thermal energy for the hotel’s hot water supply. The cogeneration system was sold and commissioned by Regatta Solutions of San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Regatta Solutions is the West Coast distributor of Capstone Turbine.
With the combined heat and power (CHP) system, the exhaust heat captured from the microturbines is transferred to heat exchangers to be converted into thermal energy for hot water production. The two low-emission, natural gas powered microturbines will generate over 1 million kWh of electricity annually plus up to 830,000 BTU/hour for the building’s hot water needs.
The microturbines are grid-connected and California Air Resources Board (CARB) certified. The system provides energy and hot water for the 25-story, 532-room hotel.
As a nine-time EPA Energy Star Award Winner, Hotel Nikko maintains a long list of green initiatives that include water conservation, recycling and composting. The cogeneration system allows Hotel Nikko to achieve several additional goals beyond reducing energy costs. With Capstone microturbines, the hotel can now maximize operational efficiency, as CHP requires less fuel to produce a given energy output. Producing power on-site also avoids transmission and distribution losses associated with traditional power generation. From a facilities standpoint, the microturbine system minimizes risk and decreases exposure to utility rate increases.
