Combined Heat & Power Plant Office

Big rock discovered during building with "Central Energy Plant" engraved on it.
The sign above was created using a large boulder, which was discovered when excavating soils during the building construction.

Combined Heat & Power Plant Office

LEED Certified Gold

Cornell’s Combined Heat and Power Building has been awarded a LEED® Gold Rating by the US Green Building Council. In addition to delivering energy efficiently and sustainably throughout campus via USEPA award-winning combined heat and power generation, the CHP Office Building utilizes solar panels installed on the office roof.

On the LEED-certified scorecard, the Combined Heat and Power Building scored 44 out of 69 possible points. For a full breakdown, review the report on the US Green Buildings Certification (USGBC) website.

 Sustainable SitesWater EfficiencyEnergy & AtmosphereMaterials & ResourcesIndoor Environmental QualityInnovation & DesignAccredited Professional
Points Earned7 / 144 / 516 / 174 / 138 / 154 / 41 / 1

Project Highlights

  • District energy systems produce hot water, steam, or chilled water at a central plant and then distribute the energy through underground pipes to buildings connected to the system. As a result, individual buildings do not need boilers, chillers or cooling towers
  • The Combined Heat and Power Office Building utilizes solar thermal renewable energy systems which are installed on the office roof
  • The office building foundation has large thermal storage capacity which greatly improves the energy performance of the building

More information on the USEPA award-winning combined heat and power generation project at Cornell University.

Check Out the Combined Heat & Power Plant Office

LEED®, and its related logo, is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council® and is used with permission.