Microgrid power project to keep Meritus humming during outages

Solar panels, combined heat and power generation plant went into operation in October. 

Meritus Health recently completed a project that will allow it to keep its medical center operating if the power goes out. Plus, the multi-phased microgrid project will save an estimated $1.6M annually and avoid creating 2,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The health system installed the microgrid that provides power from on-site renewable sources and combined heat and power generation (CHP); electric vehicle charging; and absorption chilling. The project is controlled through an intelligent microgrid controls platform.

“At Meritus Health, we want to be good stewards of our community and our environment,” said Meritus Chief Strategy Officer David Lehr. “Installing this equipment allows us to continue serving the community in times of power loss, plus it reduces our carbon footprint.”

The project relies in part on 1,917 solar panels installed on the roof of Meritus Medical Center and the Link building that connects the hospital to Robinwood Professional Center. The solar PV system will generate 1421,991 kWh of renewable energy annually.

The redundant 2.4-MW CHP plant simultaneously generates electricity and uses the waste heat created by that generation to provide chilled water resiliency. A high-efficiency absorption chiller takes the heat from the CHP plant to create chilled water, providing cooling throughout the year.

The health system received grants totaling more than $1 million from the Maryland Energy Administration to cover feasibility analysis and preconstruction work, as well as to offset capital costs.

The system was installed over the past year and went into operation in October.

FESCO Energy LLC (FESCO), a Maryland based design-build energy infrastructure company, partnered with Meritus and other local companies to engineer and construct all phases of the turnkey design-build project.