SOUTH ENERGY

CENTER
A G R U Business
W E L C O M E

Welcome to the South Energy Center. GRU is proud

to serve the community with this combined heat
and power facility that delivers reliable, eco-
friendly and cost-effective energy to the Shands
Cancer Hospital at the University of Florida.

The South Energy Center is a significant part of

GRU’s long-term commitment to being a national
leader in energy efficiency. The facility’s ability to
simultaneously produce power, steam and chilled
water for air conditioning results in electricity
generated at 2.5 times the thermal efficiency of a
traditional, fossil fuel-powered plant.
 The South Energy Center is the first combined heat and
power facility in the southeastern United States. The
facility’s state-of-the-art technology requires only one
engineer to be onsite to monitor the equipment.

■■ BREAKING NEW GROUND

Powered by natural gas, the South Energy Center uses
state-of-the-art technology to provide the Shands Cancer
Hospital at UF with all of its energy needs. The center
includes a 4.3-megawatt turbine, a heat recovery unit and
three chillers. It is the first on-site hospital energy center of
its type east of the Mississippi and only the second in the
nation.
The facility is also one of the first on-site energy
centers in Florida to serve 100 percent of a hospital’s
electric, heating and air conditioning needs. The South
Energy Center ensures that the hospital can provide
uninterrupted access to health care even during a
catastrophic event such as a hurricane.
Shands Cancer Hospital at UF is one of only four
hospitals in the nation that is Gold-certified under the U.S.
Green Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design Program (LEED), which is in large part due to the
innovation and efficiency credits it earned from the South
Energy Center.
■■ A Unique Collaboration
In 2007, Shands HealthCare was faced with the immediate
need for an energy package to support the development of
its new cancer hospital. Shands officials thought it was
important that the health system focus on continuous
improvement and reinvention of patient care rather than
energy delivery. Therefore, Shands sought out an energy
provider that could deliver reliable and efficient energy.
Shands found GRU appealing for several reasons. Both
companies share a deep pride in and commitment to the
community. With energy generation and delivery as its core
business and an employee base of more than 850, GRU
also offered a significant amount of expertise and resources
to meet Shands at UF’s day-to-day needs and strengthen its
emergency resources. GRU recommended a stand-alone
power facility on the hospital’s campus so it would be less
susceptible to power outages during severe storms because
its energy source would be independent from the
traditional electric grid.
Today, GRU contractually provides the hospital with
all of its energy needs while meeting all regulatory
requirements for reliability, redundancy and life safety
codes.
 The South Energy Center (right) is situated less than
300 yards from the hospital (left), greatly contributing
to energy efficiency and reliability.

■■ Providing More Than Energy

T he facility is capable of functioning as an island, providing
fail-safe power to the hospital in the event of a local service
area blackout. Two independent grid connections and a gas
turbine generator provide a high level of electrical
redundancy, as any of these could completely power the
hospital and South Energy Center. Additionally, there is an
emergency diesel-powered generator to provide backup in
the event that all other power sources fail.
On top of reliable electrical power, the South Energy
Center is responsible for supplying the hospital with steam
and chilled water as well as delivering medical gases.
Highly-treated reclaimed water from GRU’s nearby Main
Street Water Reclamation Facility is used to provide cooling
for plant equipment and irrigation to the hospital. Using
reclaimed water reduces the amount of new ground water
withdrawn from the Floridan Aquifer, which supplies the
community with its drinking water.
The hospital also uses GRU’s telecommunications
service, GRUCom, for highspeed voice and data
transmission, allowing personnel to conduct and share
work in real time over a single network.
 THE SOUTH ENERGY CENTER PROVIDES 100% OF THE

Chilled Water
Emergency Power

Exhaust Gas

Exhaust Gas, Low Emissions

Exhaust Gas
Gas
GRU Circuit
Steam
4
Auxiliary
Boiler

FL Gas Transmission

3 2
Duct Heat Recovery
Burner Steam Generator

Exhaust Gas from the Turbine

1
Combustion
Turbine Generator

GRU Circuit from Kelly Substation

6 GRU Circuit from Depot Substation

Diesel Generator
7 Engine

1 Natural Gas-Powered Combustion Turbine and Generator

This unit is the main source of generated power at the facility,
providing 100 percent of the electrical needs of the Shands Cancer
Hospital at UF and the South Energy Center. Any excess electric power
it produces goes to GRU’s main electric grid.
2 Heat Recovery Steam Generator
The heat recovery steam generator captures the hot exhaust from the
combustion turbine, which would normally be released into the
atmosphere. Instead of wasting this energy, the generator uses it to
produce steam that runs the hospital’s heating system.
3 Duct Burner
This burner efficiently provides a supplemental supply of heat to the
hospital in the event that there is an insufficient amount of waste heat
created by the combustion turbine.
4 Auxiliary Boiler
In the event that the heat recovery steam generator is undergoing
maintenance or repair, the auxiliary boiler offers backup by generating
steam to provide the hospital with its heating needs.
 SHANDS CANCER HOSPITAL AT UF’S ENERGY NEEDS

Motor
Chiller

Chilled Water

Motor
Chiller
5
TO SHANDS CANCER
HOSPITAL AT UF

Steam
Turbine
Chiller

Steam
TO SHANDS CANCER
HOSPITAL AT UF

TO SHANDS CANCER
HOSPITAL AT UF

Emergency Power

TO SHANDS CANCER
HOSPITAL AT UF

5 Chillers
These three chillers provide the hospital with 42-degree chilled water
for its cooling system. The chiller powered by the steam turbine is very
energy efficient, using the steam produced by the hot exhaust
captured by the heat recovery system generator.
6 Two Independent Grid Connections
In case the combustion turbine generator fails to produce power, two
independent grids from GRU’s main electrical circuit are connected to
the energy center so it can provide interruptible service to the hospital.
7 Diesel Engine Generator
If both grid feeds and the on-site turbine generator fail due to a
catastrophic event, this emergency diesel-powered generator is a quick
starting backup power source, ensuring electrical reliability for the
hospital and energy center.
 Three chillers help the hospital meet its cooling needs.

■■ E
 nvironmental Protection and
Energy Management
The South Energy Center’s ability to simultaneously
produce electricity, chilled water and steam greatly
enhances energy efficiency and reduces emissions
compared with traditional, centralized power plants.
The facility has a projected annual energy savings
of 46 percent in comparison with traditional generation,
which is equal to the power needed to run more than
3,000 homes. The facility is also projected to condense
carbon emissions equivalent to taking 4,100 vehicles off
the road.
This level of efficiency is achieved, in part, by
capturing the hot exhaust from the turbine, which would
normally be released into the atmosphere as wasted
energy. The hot exhaust produces steam that is then used
to run the hospital‘s heating and cooling systems.
Since the plant is powered by new natural gas
technology, it also produces ultra-low emissions in
comparison with other fossil fuels.
Only 32 percent of a typical coal-fired power station’s
primary fuel is converted into electricity. Overall, the South
Energy Center is 75 percent efficient in converting fuel to
useful energy.

The heat recovery system generator creates steam from

wasted energy and uses it to power the steam turbine
generator as well as for the hospital’s heating system.
■■ Being a Good Neighbor
GRU and Shands HealthCare have strong ties to Gainesville,
with employees who both serve the community and live in
it. The unique relationship between the two organizations
has become a source of pride within the community and
provides multiple benefits.
Patients come to Shands at UF from every county in
the state, from all over the nation and from many other
countries as well. With the South Energy Center, cancer and
trauma patients as well as their friends and family can
expect a health care resource they can count on to provide
reliable service. And during a catastrophic event, such as a
hurricane, the community can be secure in the knowledge
that its medical needs will still be met.
 GRU electric customers also benefit from the South
Energy Center as it strengthens the electric system and
provides a non-traditional revenue source that can help
reduce upward price pressures.
Aside from reliable services, the exterior design of the
South Energy Center was also very important. The energy
center was designed and built to blend into the overall
design aesthetic of the medical campus and contribute to
the beauty of the community. It was also designed to be
expandable to meet Shands HealthCare’s future growth
plans for the academic medical center.

The South Energy Center allows Shands HealthCare to

meet its mission every day: providing patients with the
best health care service.
 Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), owned by the City of
Gainesville, is a municipal enterprise providing electric, water,
wastewater, natural gas, and telecommunications services to
customers in the greater Gainesville area. 9/10

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