Years of planning informed the need for an electrical distribution upgrade for the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) campus to support projects, future growth, and address the need for a highly reliable electric grid. Centered in downtown Baltimore, The University of Maryland Baltimore occupies a 61-acre campus in a densely developed urban setting of approximately 23 city blocks at the western edge of Baltimore’s central business district. A daily campus population of over 20,000 persons – including enrollment of more than 7,000 students – engage in professional education, research, health care and social services.
RMF first conducted an electrical master planning effort to identify, analyze and evaluate the best option to upgrade the campus electrical main distribution system for future growth and reliability.
The design project includes the master plan recommendations for a multiphase upgrade including two (2) new 40MVA north and south switching stations and several miles of new ductbank and 15kV cabling. New feeder pairs run between the two switching stations, and all buildings can be fed from either end, enabling the load to be balanced between the two stations. This provides an advantage of familiarity to campus personnel. In the event of an outage of either station, the load can be transferred to the other one, yielding a highly reliable arrangement with capacity for future growth.
Size61-acres
LocationBaltimore, Maryland
ServicesThermal & Electrical Utilities, Energy & Decarbonization
MarketHigher Education
The upgraded electrical system is set-up to accommodate load increases due to electrical vehicle charging and carbon reduction technologies for the campus heating system, aligning with the UMB’s vision of a sustainable future. The microgrid includes a state-of-the-art switchgear and generator control system that is centered around reliability and maintenance and allows the owner to utilize existing generator peak shaving for economic and environmental returns.