ASHRAE Journal - February 2023 - 19

COLUMN ENGINEER'S NOTEBOOK
viable option to electrify the existing HHW system with
minimal impacts to the existing building infrastructure.
Options 1 and 2 could be achievable but would require
HHW thermal storage to downsize the heat pumps to
avoid an upgrade to the electrical infrastructure or
would require an upgrade to the electrical service.
Many factors came into consideration to fi nally
determine a hybrid plant was the most viable solution
to move toward electrifi cation. This campus has
over 110 facilities, and the stakeholders were looking
to introduce heat pump technology as a pilot project to
determine the feasibility of introducing the technology
throughout the campus. The hybrid plant offered them
the opportunity to introduce the newer technology to
the campus while also providing a back-up gas-fi red
system the university was much more accustomed to
maintaining and operating. It also gave some resiliency
to the system, making it not reliant solely on the electrical
grid. The hybrid approach gave the university
a satisfactory solution to signifi cantly reduce their
carbon emissions by operating the HRC for a majority
of hours of operation, while signifi cantly improving
their ROI compared to an all-electric plant. Moving
forward, we will need to evaluate the impact of having
decentralized electrifi ed HHW plants in a campus setting
with a central CHW, with a likely outcome being a
move to a more centralized electrifi ed plant with HHW
and CHW storage.
As designers, we need to consider the impact of pursuing
electrifi cation for heating systems and be equipped
to guide owners to make an informed decision on implementing
these systems on a large scale at their campuses
and buildings.
References
1. Del Monaco, J. 2022. " Adopting and Implementing a Campus
Decarbonization Plan. " ASHRAE Journal (8).
2. Butbul, Y. 2022. " Decarbonization Solutions for Existing Hot
Water Systems. " Engineered Systems (3). https://tinyurl.com/
swnb822z
3. EPA. Undated. " Power Profi ler. " U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. https://tinyurl.com/3pb4dp8r
4. Energy Star. 2022. " Greenhouse Gas Emissions. " Energy Star.
https://tinyurl.com/4n4nx3vh
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ASHRAE Journal - February 2023

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