VA MEDICAL CENTER

In 2016, the VA Hospital was in search of a way to reduce their electrical import from Rocky Mountain Power while also supplementing the heating system. Wheeler won the proposal for a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generator set, Heat Recovery unit and ancillary support equipment. Additionally, Wheeler worked for several years for the install of a $2.4 million 2.5-Megawatt natural gas generator set. This unit can be up to 88 percent efficient by recovering heat generated through exhaust heat, jacket-water heat and after-cooler heat. Natural gas is ten times cheaper than diesel, and the technology has continued to improve. The performance of natural gas generators has almost caught up to diesel generators by responding fast and taking on loads very well.

Originally, the government was searching for a 4-Megawatt generator set. Per Wheeler’s proficiency, it was shown to the governmental engineer that a 2.5 Megawatt would meet the need. This resulted in significant cost savings for the hospital, and it deepened Wheeler’s relationship with the government per our honesty and increasing their received value. The gen set is now up and running at the VA Hospital, and it’s receiving maintenance checks every 250 hours. Ongoing maintenance helps to keep costs down, and the unit is expected to last 30 to 40 years while running more than 270,000 hours.