Demonstration projects

Lake tower office building

We partnered with the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and Focus on Energy to place a 60 kW CHP micro turbine in their Lake Tower Office Building. The micro turbine is being used to heat the building and to provide electrical power as needed, with an overall efficiency of about 80 percent. Our part of the demonstration project was funded by our energy efficiency escrow funds. The system became operational in May 2003 and remains in operation today. Web sites are available to students and the public for monitoring the operation of the unit in real time.

The unit is owned by the City of Milwaukee. In exchange for our investment, two years from the in-service date, we will receive a complete report on the operation of the unit.

Facility Name

Lake Tower Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Project

Location

4001 South 6 th Street, Milwaukee, Wis.

Owner/Operator

City of Milwaukee

Size (kW or mW)

60 kW

Description

Micro turbine normally operated in CHP mode. Can be operated as a peak shaver and as emergency backup. Unit is 80% efficient when operated in heating mode. Has 280 data points available online.

Technology

Micro turbine

Equipment

60 kW Capstone

In-Service Date

May 2003

Billing/Metering Configuration

Non-exporting generation. Not renewable energy.

Other Key Facts or Features

Partners: We Energies, City of Milwaukee, Focus on Energy, and MSOE. Unit is integrated with the building management system, remote dispatch capable, multiple real time monitoring sites. The unit is dispatched as “#1 Boiler”. Gas is too expensive to run the unit as a peak shaver.