Powering the City of Bridgeport with reduced costs and 100% grid redundancy

Sustainable, cost effective for local government

The City of Bridgeport needed a Microgrid solution to be built with 100% GRID Redundacy at no cost to the city, while saving on longterm costs and reducing environmental impact.

Continuous cogeneration power in times of need

Centrica Business Solutions joined with Controlled Air, Inc.; O,R&L Construction; Power Island Energy; and several other companies to deliver a cogeneration system featuring chilled and thermal water loops, controls system and underground piping for a microgrid to power key municipal buildings for the city.

The design build portion of the project was managed by O,R&L Construction, specialists in commercial building services.

The microgrid includes three Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units, a stand-by power generator set provided by Centrica Business Solutions and an electrical power network designed to provide continuous power during grid failure. The project was part of a municipal pilot program launched through the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) in 2013.

The results

The microgrid provides power to key municipal buildings, and utilizes the engine heat loss to supply heating and cooling to critical facilities, such as City Hall, the Police Headquarters and the Golden Hill Senior Center.

The team has estimated annual savings of approximately 85,554 MMBtu in energy, all while meeting several budget and city needs. The microgrid was built with 100% redundancy at no cost to the city, with the potential for reducing environmental impact and long-term energy costs.

Why change?

Centrica Business Solutions’ combined heating, cooling and power units:

• Save 85,554 MMBtus annually
• Use free by-product resources offering even more benefits
• Offer reliable electrical source