H.B. Beal Secondary School

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 1 × C65 Grid Connect Capstone Microturbine with BAS controls integration
• Annual Generation: >500,000 kWh/year
• Energy Savings: ~$50,000 / year in annual facility energy cost reductions
• Thermal Integration: 430,000 BTU/hr of recovered hot water for pool heating and space heating


The Challenge
Founded in 1912 and serving between 1,500 and 2,000 students, H.B. Beal Secondary School is one of London, Ontario’s largest and most historic educational institutions. Following a major $50-million facility expansion and modernization, school leadership needed a way to manage high ongoing energy overhead. Operating extensive facilities—including multiple gymnasiums and a year-round indoor swimming pool—the school required significant continuous electricity and hot water. To protect educational budgets and advance regional sustainability goals, the school sought a clean onsite energy solution to replace high-cost grid electricity and natural gas heating.


The Solution
A 65 kW Combined Heat & Power (CHP) microturbine system was installed in 2010, connected directly into the facility’s central Building Automation System (BAS).
• Onsite Baseload Generation: Produces over 500 MWh of clean electricity annually on-site, displacing high-cost utility grid purchases during peak school hours.
• Thermal Recovery for Pool & Space Heating: Captures 430,000 BTU/hr of high-grade exhaust heat to supply continuous hot water for the indoor swimming pool and space heating loops.
• Low-Maintenance & Quiet Operation: Air-bearing turbine technology features a single moving part with no liquid coolants or oil, ensuring ultra-quiet operation suitable for a dense learning environment.
• Seamless Grid Synchronization: Operates in grid-connect mode in tandem with the local utility grid to satisfy the school's dynamic power requirements.


The Results
• $50,000 Annual Energy Savings: Significantly slashes recurring utility costs, redirecting financial resources back into academic and extracurricular programming.
• Long-Term Operational Proven Reliability: Delivers over a decade of continuous clean energy performance since its 2010 commissioning.
• Dual Thermal Utilization: Maximizes fuel efficiency by repurposing waste heat directly into heavy thermal loads like the school's indoor pool.
• Carbon Footprint Reduction: Directly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, serving as a functional model of clean energy technology within an educational setting.