Illinois Tech is located in Chicago, Illinois, and is the only technology-focused university in the city. Founded in 1890, the university has long been known as a leading institution for energy research and education.

The 120-acre campus is located in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood and many of the buildings, including the energy plant, were designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The steam heating system and electrical microgrid serves 21 campus buildings. Cooling is provided through a combination of district cooling loops and decentralized chillers. The Ever-Green team manages two chiller plants serving eight buildings and the central utility plant that includes steam boilers that serve the campus thermal needs and two gas turbine generators that provide backup power.

Ever-Green’s Role

In 2021, Ever-Green entered into a partnership with Harrison Street and Zero6 Energy to provide operations, maintenance, and management services for the utility systems at Illinois Tech. Ever-Green’s team of experts manages daily operations as well as short-term and long-term planning for maintenance, energy conservation measures, and cost savings efforts. In order to improve efficiency and resilience of the university’s energy systems, a new, highly efficient trigeneration system (also known as combined cooling, heat, and power) is under consideration along with the conversion of a majority of the steam distribution system to hot water.

Partnership

Ever-Green’s partners for this project include Harrison Street, a leading investment management firm exclusively focused on alternative real assets, and Zero6, a leader in clean energy and technology commercialization. This establishes Ever-Green’s second utility operation with Harrison Street, adding to a range of experience advancing energy projects and operations for higher education and other campuses.