Frederick Community College Facilities Master Plan Chapter 6 Recommendations, Campus Development 6-C-5 May, 2023 Additional circuit breakers will be provided in the main switchboard to serve branch circuit panels within the central plant. These panels will be used to serve existing and new lighting and larger mechanical equipment associated with the central plant such as HVAC equipment. The branch panels will also be used to serve dry type transformers which will step the voltage down to 208/120 volts to serve branch circuit panels for receptacles and smaller mechanical equipment loads. The central plant does not currently have an emergency generator to support equipment during a power outage. Should there be a desire to operate any of the existing systems during a power outage, then an emergency power generator should be considered. The size of the generator would be dependent on the amount and size of the equipment which will be operated under emergency power. The generator would also be used to serve life safety loads such as egress and exit sign lighting. Should an emergency generator not be provided, emergency lighting would need to be provided by lighting fixtures utilizing batter backup to maintain a minimum level of illumination during a power outage. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems should be considered and analyzed on any new building or major renovation of an existing building. While solar PV has had a historic economic payback of 6-10 years in this region, recent advances in manufacturing have significantly dropped the material cost of solar panels. Installation costs of approximately $1000 per panel or $2 per kWh per year are being seen industry-wide, making most solar PV projects approach a more attractive 3–5-year payback period. An in-depth financial payback analysis should be done as this can become a critical component of the design. In addition, solar PV installations will provide risk mitigation against future Maryland state Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) requirements for reducing total building energy use intensity, as outlined in the recently adopted Maryland Climate Solutions Now Act legislation. Solar PV installations should consider the age and configuration of the building roof and structures when sited as a rooftop installation. Buildings with either older or more complicated roofing systems should be analyzed to determine the associated ancillary costs of those structural systems when comparing a potential solar PV project. Another key factor which should be considered is the periodic maintenance associated with a PV system. Will the system be maintained internally or by an outside firm that specializes in PV maintenance? Should an outside firm be considered, a power purchase agreement (PPL) may be the best solution to incorporate PV without needing to have the internal capability to maintain the system.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTc2ODM1