Energy Heating and Cooling Plant

Project Highlights

Launched in 2005 and located on the Proctors Theatre Campus, Marquee Power heats and cools over 1 million square feet in downtown Schenectady, NY. M/E Engineering was retained by Proctor’s Theatre as the lead professional in the creation of the new District Heating and Cooling Plant, designed to generate low pressure steam and distribute medium temperature hot and chilled water throughout the downtown urban area.

The subsurface distribution system spans an underground creek and supplies 42°F chilled water to several buildings within the 400-block vicinity of State Street, actively reducing carbon footprint, with the capacity for future customers and additional MEP equipment incorporated in the systems’ design.

Boiler Plant Upgrade

The original boiler plant was comprised of two (2) 250 HP high pressure steam boilers with future plant space capacity for two (2)
additional 250 HP boilers.

The new boiler steam system was designed for steam usage by the absorption chillers in the plant, with the flexibility of future conversion to hot water in the event the chilled water plant was converted to centrifugal chillers.

The recent plant upgrades have increased the plant’s heating capacity with two (2) 250 HP steam/hot water and one (1) 109 HP hot water boilers.

Chiller Plant Upgrade

The original chilled water plant consisted of two (2) 500 ton absorption chillers and one (1) 250 ton screw chiller, future plant space capacity for two (2) additional 500 ton centrifugal chillers incorporated.

The 2014 upgrades have reconfigured the plant’s cooling capacity. The plant now contains two (2) 500 ton centrifugal chillers and one (1) 250 ton screw chiller. Space is available for one (1) additional boiler.