Policy Makers/Planners - Success Stories
University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland

The Chesapeake Office Building, at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), utilizes two combined heat and power systems. The first system is comprised of two reciprocating engine driven air conditioners, a desiccant system, and an existing rooftop unit. The gas-fired engines provide steam to the desiccant dehumidifier, which then supplies dry air to the rooftop unit. Yearly savings for this system are approximately $10,000 with a 55% reduction in CO₂. The second system includes a Honeywell Parallon 75 microturbine and absorption chiller for electric power and cooling requirements. Broad Air Conditioning in Changsha, China, is donating a 25 ton Lithium Bromide/Water chiller for the facility. The microturbine and the chiller will be shipped to UMCP in the spring and be operating in time for the cooling season. The Parallon 75 will produce electricity; recoverable heat from the unit will run the absorption chiller, avoiding the need for grid-connected electricity. The combination will be self sufficient, running on natural gas. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Broad Air Conditioning has been established which will allow the U.S. access to data generated during testing and operation of the system. Broad will also have access to data generated at the University of Maryland. The microturbine provides 75kW of electric power for the 51,000 ft2 building. Annual savings for the system are forecasted to be $25,000 with a 40% reduction in CO₂.