Princeton University, Firestone Library Substation

Burns leads a critical switchgear replacement project for a substation serving six campus buildings.

Princeton is modernizing the Firestone Library’s substation after half a century of continuous operation. The switchgear overhaul is designed to ensure reliable power supply for the next 30-40 years, while enabling a seamless transition between power feeds during planned maintenance activities.

Burns serves as the engineer of record, providing design and construction management services, including:

• Electrical design of a 5kV primary select unit substation serving multiple campus buildings
• Staging the switchgear replacement to ensure continuous operation of 24/7 campus facilities
• Analysis of the existing power distribution system to optimize temporary power during project phasing
• Mechanical designs to prevent overheating of switchgear within the Firestone Library substation as well as within supplemental switchgear rooms
• Structural design of a newly installed, belowground access hatch to enable staged switchgear replacement — for the current project and any future upgrades
• Specifications for Princeton to pre-purchase equipment, expediting project delivery by an estimated 4-6 months

Princeton anticipates to complete the Firestone Library switchgear replacements in 2024.

Previous projects include design of a resilient back-up power system for Princeton’s Environmental Studies and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (ES+SEAS) complex.