Sheridan College – Trafalgar Energy Centre Upgrades

Large-scale educational campuses require incredibly robust, efficient, and reliable utility infrastructure to keep thousands of students comfortable and safe. When Sheridan College moved forward with its comprehensive thermal and power infrastructure overhaul, GEN-PRO was the successful bidder awarded the contract through a highly competitive public tender. Operating as the prime general contractor, our role was strictly focused on the complex physical installation, rigging, and construction management required to execute the highly engineered blueprints provided by the college’s consultant team

Project Description

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The Challenge: Massive Heavy-Industrial Logistics on a Live Campus

The primary challenge of this construction project management was the sheer scale and technical density of the equipment being installed within an existing campus footprint. Managing the delivery, rigging, and integration of five massive chillers, four boilers, three cooling towers, a 750kW emergency generator, and extensive high-voltage electrical switchgear required flawless coordination. Because the design phase was finalized before our involvement, our team focused our expertise entirely on the intricate construction logistics—ensuring that deep piping, structural venting, and heavy electrical tie-ins were executed perfectly without disrupting the daily operations or safety of the active Trafalgar campus.

Why This Project Was Essential

As institutions grow and commit to reducing their environmental footprints, legacy heating and cooling systems must be replaced with high-efficiency, modern alternatives. This multi-million dollar upgrade was vital to secure the long-term energy resilience of Sheridan College. By implementing a sophisticated network of condensing and non-condensing systems, alongside cutting-edge Combined Heat and Power (CHP) infrastructure, the college successfully lowered its carbon footprint, insulated itself against power grid vulnerabilities, and ensured that critical life-safety systems are backed up by a state-of-the-art emergency power loop.Here’s how we transformed their central utility infrastructure into a modern, energy-efficient power hub:

Scope of Work

As the general contractor leading the intensive mechanical and electrical execution of this project, GEN-PRO managed the following milestones:

Central Chiller Plant Installation:
Rigging, placing, and commissioning three high-efficiency electric chillers, two absorption chillers, and three heavy-duty exterior cooling towers.
Boiler Plant Upgrades:
Installation of two modern condensing boilers and two non-condensing boilers, complete with all associated industrial piping, structural venting, and system controls.
Cogeneration (CHP) Infrastructure:
Setting up the essential structural piping, connection points, and automation controls to support two new 600kWe Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems.
Emergency Life-Safety Power:
Installing a massive 750kW Natural Gas Emergency Life Safety Generator, complete with complex grounding grids, control panels, and safety alarm circuits.
High-Voltage Electrical Upgrades:
Executing critical upgrades to the main power service of Building C, which included civil work for a new outdoor transformer, bus duct installations, and main switchgear overhauls.
Subcontractor Coordination:
Orchestrating a highly specialized team of heavy-rigging experts, industrial steamfitters, high-voltage electricians, and automation technicians to deliver the project exactly to engineering specifications.

Conclusion

At GEN-PRO, we possess the specialized industrial expertise required to successfully deliver the most complex, high-stakes infrastructure projects in the ICI sector. By winning the competitive contract for the Trafalgar Energy Centre, we provided Sheridan College with a transparent, budget-conscious construction solution. While we did not participate in the complex engineering or design of these thermal and electrical systems, our meticulous execution ensures that the college now runs on a safe, dependable, and highly efficient modern energy network.