Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 5 × C65 Grid Connect Capstone Microturbines (325 kW total modular array) managed via microMTIM controls
• Annual Generation: >2,500 MWh/year of clean, ultra-low emission electricity
• Thermal Output: 2,000 lbs/hr of recovered steam for year-round hospital thermal loads
• Partner Strategy: Supplied to a leading Energy Services Company (ESCO) for state healthcare infrastructure modernization


The Challenge
Founded in 1904, Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children (PRHC) in Canton, Massachusetts, provides 24/7 comprehensive medical, rehabilitative, and therapeutic care to young patients with complex physical disabilities. Operating a 60-bed healthcare facility requires continuous electrical reliability and massive year-round thermal energy for space heating, domestic hot water, and medical sanitation. Relying solely on central utility power and legacy boilers resulted in high operational costs and required fuel-heavy boiler operation even during warm summer months. The hospital needed a clean, ultra-low emission energy solution that could lower overhead costs while reducing reliance on central boilers.


The Solution
A 325 kW Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system featuring five modular Capstone C65 microturbines was deployed in partnership with a top-tier ESCO to deliver high-efficiency, grid-synchronized power and steam generation.
• On-Site Baseload Generation: Produces over 2,500 MWh of continuous electricity annually, supplying clean, reliable power that operates at lower emissions than Massachusetts marginal grid generation.
• Full Thermal Recovery for Free Steam: Captures high-temperature microturbine exhaust to generate 2,000 lbs/hr of steam, fully supplementing the main boiler plant.
• Complete Summer Boiler Shutdown: Thermal output satisfies 100% of the facility's warm-weather thermal load, allowing primary boilers to turn off completely during summer months to dramatically reduce fuel burn and mechanical wear.
• Low-Emission Modular Reliability: Utilizes five staged 65 kW turbine bays featuring oil-free air-bearing technology, providing whisper-quiet operation and flexible load matching for sensitive pediatric care environments.


The Results
• $250,000 Annual Energy Savings: Significantly slashes utility bills, allowing valuable institutional resources to be directed back into specialized care and assistive technology for youth.
• Extended Boiler Asset Life: Eliminates summer boiler cycles, decreasing maintenance overhead and extending the operating life of core facility heating infrastructure.
• Cleaner Than the Grid: Generates electricity and thermal energy with significantly lower carbon and greenhouse gas emissions than regional utility power plants.
• 24/7 Healthcare Energy Efficiency: Delivers uninterrupted, low-cost thermal energy and baseload power to support 24/7 nursing and rehabilitative operations.