Tillsonburg Community Centre

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 3 × C65 Dual Mode Capstone Microturbines with controls
• Annual Generation: >1,500 MWh/year of clean on-site electricity
• Thermal Output: 1,290,000 BTU/hr (1.29 MMBtu/hr) of recovered hot water for indoor pools, space heating, and domestic hot water
• Financial Impact: ~$150,000 / year in annual energy cost reductions (~60% reduction in grid electricity demand)
• Resiliency Anchor: Commissioned in 2018; serves as the Town of Tillsonburg’s designated emergency refuge during extreme weather and blackout events


The Challenge
The Tillsonburg Community Centre (TCC) in Ontario is an expansive municipal complex featuring two indoor ice rinks, an indoor pool, a senior center, and event spaces accommodating up to 350 people. Operating year-round created high, constant electrical and thermal energy demands. Furthermore, as the town’s primary designated place of refuge during natural disasters, the facility required absolute power and heating reliability - capable of operating seamlessly during grid blackouts without interruption.


The Solution
The Town of Tillsonburg deployed a 195 kW Dual-Mode Combined Heat & Power (CHP) microturbine system equipped with Dual Mode MTIM controls to deliver continuous, low-cost power and instant emergency backup.
• Utility Demand Reduction: Generates over 1,500 MWh of clean electricity annually on-site, displacing roughly 60% of the facility's grid power purchases at a lower cost per kilowatt-hour.
• Pool & Space Heat Recovery: Captures 1,290,000 BTU/hr of exhaust waste heat to supply the indoor pool, space heating, and domestic hot water loops, virtually eliminating daily boiler operation.
• Sub-10-Second Islanding Resiliency: Automatically disconnects from the grid and transitions to stand-alone mode in under 10 seconds during power outages, keeping lights, heat, and critical systems running.
• Modular Redundancy & Low Maintenance: Features air-bearing technology with one moving part per turbine. The three-bay modular design allows individual units to be serviced while the remaining turbines maintain critical building loads.


The Results
• $150,000 Annual Energy Savings: Significantly reduces municipal utility expenditures, delivering a rapid capital payback while protecting local tax dollars.
• Proven Emergency Refuge: Successfully served as an emergency shelter for displaced local residents during severe storm blackouts, including an August 2019 lightning storm outage.
• Extended Boiler Asset Life: Offsets primary facility heating so effectively that central boilers are rarely needed, drastically reducing maintenance and expanding equipment lifespan.
• Clean & Quiet Operation: Operates without exhaust after-treatment systems or mechanical vibration, seamlessly retrofitting into the existing building space without disturbing community activities.