CASE STUDIES
At Bocci, we strive for continuous improvement in Design, Health, Safety, Environmental and Economic results. Our passion for innovation and focus on operations helps us to drive sustainability and create value. Our team of subject matter experts leverage cross-industry experience and economic drivers to identify optimization strategies.
Our solutions are designed to monetize the benefits of improving reliability, reducing environmental impact and removing constraints in production, while also reducing risks in design, construction, operations and maintenance.
UTMB Combined Heat & Power Feasibility Study
Our team was tasked with conducting a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) feasibility assessment for the League City UTMB Campus.
Our challenge was to identify the future campus peak utility loads and determine the future expansion requirements of the utility production facilities and distribution systems to support the planned growth.
In addition to this forecasting assessment, we examined whether implementing CHP as a power backup solution would be financially feasible for the expanded campus' heating and cooling needs, as they had already committed to a modular chilled water plant as their primary power mechanism.
California American Water
Cal Am developed a purchase contract to govern all aspects of the BESS selection, project’s design, installation, and testing. Bocci guided negotiations for the contract and initiated numerous changes to reduce Cal Am’s risk and clarify the text. Bocci ensured additional documents required by the contract were filed in the project records.
Bocci took the lead in defining Cal Am’s requirements for BESS operation during a power outage, including the operating Key Performance Indicators in the contract. Bocci supervised development of the test procedures used to prove Cal Am’s new battery system operates as required including key performance indicators.
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Phillips 66 Borger CoGen
Refinery Strategy
Bocci assisted Phillips 66 in their Borger Refinery by providing consulting support for their long-term energy purchase negotiations. Our team evaluated the positions of both parties involved, studied the market, and assessed the life-cycle comparative economics of options for providing steam and electricity to the refinery. We developed strategic positions for the negotiation and obtained approvals from senior management, legal, risk and environmental departments for the recommended approach.
Our services included designing and optimizing co-gen & thermal plants, configuring plants, substations, and interconnects, estimating CAPEX and OPEX, analyzing energy load and air permit, modeling and evaluating them, and reporting the findings. We also conducted a detailed utility tariff risk assessment and produced power and thermal energy plant production models. Lastly, we facilitated the design development for a new HP Steam Plant, without the need for co-gen.
Velcro CHP Assessment in Manchester, NH
Bocci performed an energy and risk assessment for their 20-year-old combined heat and power (CHP) system. The study involved engineering and economic life cycle cost estimating for upgrading the existing 5 mW CHP and heater recovery steam generator (HRSG), right sizing and replacing the CHP system, improving paralleling capability, updating automation and controls. It also included an integrated risk review of environmental, electrical interconnect, power back-up, and energy procurement impacts.
As principle in charge, Bocci led the development of full economic EPC cost estimates, corresponding NPV forecasts, and a series of client-focused sensitivities integrated for their production forecast.
Food Biomass CHP Study
A food manufacturing client enlisted the help of Bocci Engineering to address various issues they were facing. These included reducing sulfur dioxide and particulate matter emissions, mitigating an EPA NOV in the Steam Plant, eliminating biomass generated as a byproduct of their industrial process, and meeting stringent financial investment hurdles. To tackle these challenges, Bocci conducted extensive audits, testing, analytics, and production trends to assess steam usage and water quality needs.
We developed integrated reliability, energy, operational controls, and financial models to predict and compare the performance of seven proposed plant upgrade alternatives. We also developed turn-key engineering and environmental scopes, construction estimates, and implementation schedules.
MetroNational Treehouse, LEED + Geothermal Energy Modeling
Memorial City, TX
This project exemplifies how a private developer can adhere to the highest standards of sustainable building for a commercial property. Bocci utilized Trane TRACE software to perform comprehensive LEED energy modeling during the design and construction phases. We generated LEED Energy and Atmosphere Credit 1 (EAc1), renewable energy, and ventilation components for the building analysis. We incorporated a geothermal water source heat pump and energy modeling approach to ensure the best possible outcome for achieving LEED status.
The Treehouse Memorial City has achieved a score of 95 points and attained certified LEED Double Platinum status by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It features a geothermal cooling and heating system, daylight harvesting, solar photovoltaics, and a wind turbine for renewable energy generation. The flexible office spaces are designed to accommodate the company's ongoing developments.
UTMB Transition to Operational Sustainability; Jenny Sealy Hospital, Clinical Services Wing, and Victory Lakes
Bocci Engineering helped UTMB prepare for Joint Commission survey and accept three medical buildings by providing staff augmentation. Our team provided owner's representation services, focusing on critical systems such as HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and security. We conducted design review, commissioning review, and operations and maintenance review, as well as pre and post substantial completion O&M transitioning, and warranty periods.
One of our core responsibilities was transitioning to sustainable operations, which involved asset record verification (in field), data management, and coordination between BIM 360 Field and CMMS. We also produced OEM / CMS Compliant asset job plans (maintenance) and the CMMS Importable file (CoBie).
Commissioning Services at the United Technology Operations Center at the Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX
United Airlines hired Bocci Engineering to manage and commission a new hangar and office building in Houston, Texas. Bocci's objective was to ensure that the building complied with the Houston Commercial Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE commissioning standards for energy efficiency. Bocci created Verification Checklists and Functional Performance Test scripts, and provided oversight for the installing contractors to ensure that the Commissioning Plan was followed.
Bocci also made several site visits during construction to witness Functional Testing. We reviewed the chillers and pumps for the chilled water system, air handlers, VA boxes, lighting, and water heaters in the office building. We found that the air handlers were not using automatic controls and were running manually, which was not energy efficient. Bocci submitted a Preliminary Report and Final Report as required by code.
High Voltage Power Project
Keith Mathenia provided detailed design of one-line, thee-line, schematic, and panelboard wiring diagrams for electric utility’s 345 kV, 138 kV, and 69 kV substations to include autotransformers, unit substations, oil circuit breakers, gas circuit breakers, relay controls, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.
He wrote and reviewed quality control trip-check procedures for commissioning new substations, line upgrades, and unit substation additions.
City of Houston Energy Performance Contract with Siemens
Siemens received support from Bocci Engineering for their Energy Performance Contract with the City of Houston. The services provided included investment-grade energy audits for several municipal buildings, the complete development of a solar hot water heating system, and a feasibility study to bid documents.
This resulted in 23 measures meeting the City's criteria of a payback under 20 years across 10 locations. The measures covered all major building systems, including lighting, HVAC, and building control systems. They represented a total utility savings of 750,000 kWh of electricity and 25,000 therms of natural gas, leading to an annual cost savings of $117,000 and a reduction of 600 tons of carbon dioxide.
Project Engineering Superintendent & ISO 9000 Inspection with
Oil International Services
Bocci oversaw the manufacturing of an enclosure structure in Galveston, Texas that was critical to a turbine control room and containment on an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Ventek Holdings required strict compliance with regulations, regular inspections, and monitoring of the production schedule to ensure timely delivery.
Our services included inspecting purchasing activities, fabrication and production processes, and ensuring compliance with electrical, HVAC and structural engineering documentation, budget control, and specification compliance. I provided weekly reports to the owner on project status and progress. The final construction met all compliance and schedule requirements.
Texas Institute for Preclinical Studies Facility with Perkins + Will Architects
Bocci Engineering, LLC assessed the energy usage of the Texas Institute for Preclinical Studies Facility in College Station, TX. The 111,380 square foot facility is devoted to veterinary clinical studies and research. The assessment estimated energy usage, analyzed energy savings, and documented it for LEED® Energy & Atmosphere Credit 1 (EAc1). The project team faced technical challenges due to the facility's complexity, process loads, air balance issues, and integration with existing campus utilities.
The team completed the entire building energy model using the DOE 2.2 software and reported the final results. They were able to demonstrate energy cost savings of over 26% for the proposed design compared to a comparable building that only satisfies the minimum requirements of ASHRAE 90.1.
