We prepared an infrastructure master plan and provided full design services to support Princeton University’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions for campus utilities. The plan addressed renewal and investment needs in existing infrastructure and guided the transition from steam to a hot water distribution system. Strategies included geothermal/geoexchange systems, solar energy generation, thermal energy storage, smart grid integration, waste-to-energy technologies and biofuels.
Implementation featured the Thermally Integrated Geo-Exchange Resource (TIGER) program, which delivered a new central plant with 7,000 tons of heat pump chiller capacity, a 2.25-million-gallon chilled water storage tank, and a 2.25-million-gallon hot water storage tank. At the existing plant, a chiller was replaced with a heat pump unit and a steam-to-hot water exchanger, with new piping added to distribute hot and chilled water. The new systems were tied into a geoexchange bore field to allow seasonal energy storage and discharge.
We also supported design and safety for the electrical infrastructure, performing coordination and arc-flash studies, relay settings and development of an ETAP model with more than 800 buses. The modeling effort covered the entire distribution system from the 69-kV substation (previously designed by Burns & McDonnell) through the 26-kV and 5-kV networks down to load level. Coordination with PSE&G and multiple campus stakeholders was central to planning and implementation, providing operational continuity without disrupting ongoing campus activities.
This program was constructed and placed into service, providing Princeton University with a resilient, flexible and sustainable utility system to support long-term campus growth and its decarbonization goals.