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Sustainability at ESF
Combined Heat and Power Plant

Our CHP (Combined Heat & Power) plant is located on the lower level of the LEED Platinum Gateway Center.  The plant provides heat and electricity to the Gateway Center and to several adjacent buildings.  It is able to provide 65 percent of campus heating needs and 20 percent of campus electrical needs, while reducing the campuswide carbon footprint by 22 percent! The main sources of energy generation are:

  • 9.6 MMBtu biomass boiler
  • 9.6 MMBtu natural gas boiler
  • 2.96 MMBtu natural gas boiler
  • 3 - C65 capstone micro-turbines

  • Heat recovery steam generator (HRSG)

SUNY-ESF’s mission “to advance knowledge and skills and to promote the leadership necessary for the stewardship of both the natural and designed environments” is enhanced by the integration of the combined heat-and-power plant into various aspects of the curriculum.

This emphasis on experimental field learning and the significance of having this teaching tool on site are contributors to SUNY ESF’s continually high sustainability ranking. Video showing brief overview of the plant. Email the Office of Sustainability if you are interested in a tour.

The plant allows students to understand how much energy is saved through the combined heat and power system compared to traditional technologies. Further, the plant allows comparison of two different CHP technologies, biomass fueled steam boiler/steam turbine and natural gas-fired microturbines.

CHP diagram