Old Town-Orono YMCA: Home

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 1 × C65 Grid Connect Capstone Microturbine (65 kW) integrated with central BAS controls
• Annual Generation: >500,000 kWh/year of clean on-site electricity
• Thermal Output: 430,000 BTU/hr of recovered hot water for facility and pool heating
• Financial Impact: ~$50,000 / year in annual energy cost reductions
• Long-Term Partnership: Commissioned in 2009 and serviced continuously by Vergent since 2014


The Challenge
Serving the Old Town and Orono communities in Maine, the 85,000-square-foot Old Town-Orono YMCA features extensive recreational amenities, including the Peterson Family Gymnasium, a modern fitness center, indoor tracks, and the Herb Sargent Family Therapeutic Pool. Community centers with indoor pools require continuous, heavy thermal energy alongside steady electrical baseloads. To manage high operating costs and protect community-funded budgets, the YMCA needed an efficient distributed energy solution to displace utility grid power and reduce natural gas expenditures for water heating.


The Solution
A 65 kW Combined Heat & Power (CHP) microturbine system was commissioned in 2009 and integrated directly into the facility's Building Automation System (BAS) to optimize energy dispatch.
• On-Site Electricity Generation: Produces over 500 MWh of clean electricity annually, offsetting expensive utility power across the 85,000-square-foot complex.
• Therapeutic Pool & Facility Heating: Captures 430,000 BTU/hr of high-grade exhaust heat to continuously supply hot water for the therapeutic pool and building heating systems.
• Quiet & Low-Maintenance Operation: Utilizes air-bearing turbine technology with a single moving part—eliminating oils and coolants—delivering quiet, reliable operation suitable for a community recreation setting.
• Grid-Connected Efficiency: Operates in grid-connect mode to seamlessly complement local utility service while driving down overall energy intensity.


The Results
• $30,000 Annual Savings: Delivers $30,000 in recurring annual energy cost reductions, allowing operating dollars to be reinvested directly into youth and family community programs.
• Proven Long-Term Reliability: Demonstrates over a decade of continuous performance, supported by expert technical service since 2014.
• Offset Boiler Fuel Demand: Captures waste thermal energy to satisfy high pool heating demands without increasing natural gas boiler usage.
• Lower Carbon Footprint: Enhances facility sustainability by converting a single fuel source into both clean electricity and usable heat.