Princeton University | Geoexchange Central Plant
Introba is providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and design analytic services for Princeton University’s Geoexchange Central Plant in West Windsor, NJ, United States.
Following the net-zero carbon objectives outlined in Princeton University’s Infrastructure Master Plan (IMP), Introba (formerly Integral Group) is designing and implementing a low-carbon energy system and a central plant to serve the new Lake Campus. Introba worked closely with Princeton in the design development stage to create and build a new cost-efficient “TIGER CUB” (Thermally Integrated Geothermal Energy Resource Central Utility Building), providing highly efficient, cost-effective, and reliable heating and cooling energy infrastructure to the Lake Campus. The design team based TIGER CUB design on heat recovery chillers coupled with a vertical closed-loop geo-exchange system and thermal energy storage.
The most significant risk for this project was budget and schedule overruns, given the local market and the inadequate level of detail and cost allowance allocated to the project during the preceding masterplan stage. It was essential to develop the technical design and costing to a sufficient level of detail and accuracy to keep the project on budget.
Sustainability
- Low/zero carbon emissions heating and cooling
- Geoexchange central plant
Project Highlights
- The new Lake Campus will have highly efficient, low-carbon campus energy infrastructure with renewable electricity, significantly reducing the university’s carbon footprint in alignment with sustainability goals
- TIGERCUB’s bespoke design uses heat recovery chillers coupled with a vertical closed-loop geo-exchange system and thermal energy storage
- Introba reviewed the recommended concept and conducted a more in-depth energy and carbon emissions analysis further to optimize TIGER CUB and keep the design within the project budget