Chesapeake Utilities announced it will host an open house at Seaford High School to demonstrate how the school’s new Combined Heat and Power (“CHP”) unit works. Seaford High School has earned the distinction of becoming the first non-utility facility of any kind in the state of Delaware with an operating gas-fired cogeneration system. Chesapeake Utilities partnered with the school on the installation of the project.
“The Seaford School District saw the wisdom and benefits of employing a natural gas-fired cogeneration system to reduce its overall operating costs during its recent High School expansion project,” said Roy Whitaker, chief of buildings and grounds for the Seaford district.
The Seaford High School expansion project features a 65,000-square-foot addition to an existing 150,000-square-foot school, as well as a new central plant with condensing gas boilers and a new absorption chiller. The cogeneration system can produce 100 kilowatts of continuous electric power and approximately 700,000 Btu per hour of usable thermal output.
This heat is used for the first stage of heating for the building and provides 40 tons of chilled water, offsetting at least 15% of the school’s cooling needs. In addition, the engineering models demonstrated an overall reduction in the school’s utility costs to levels below that of the unimproved facility, even with the additional square footage.
“It’s important to note that the benefits of this forward-thinking project do not merely accrue to the school,” added Darrell K. Wilson, director of marketing and comunications, Chesapeake Utilities, “but also to the surrounding community, taxpayers and society in general.” By having onsite electric generation, the school will be able to reduce its energy costs by an estimated $50,000 — $60,000 per year, while also providing a measure of backup emergency power. CO2 emissions associated with this school are expected to drop by over 12 million pounds per year.
The event will be held on Wednesday, May 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Seaford High School, 399 N. Market St., Seaford . The event is open to the general public.
