UNMH Central Utility Plant

Project Overview

As part of the University of New Mexico Hospital's major campus expansion, Yearout Mechanical delivered the mechanical, plumbing, and integrated automation systems for the new Central Utility Plant. The facility provides critical utility infrastructure supporting UNMH's continued growth and healthcare operations across the campus.

Serving New Mexico's only Level I Trauma Center, the project required the installation and commissioning of complex mechanical systems designed to provide reliable operation within a mission-critical healthcare environment.

The Challenge

The Central Utility Plant had to be constructed, tested, and commissioned in coordination with a major hospital expansion and active healthcare operations. The work required extensive planning, phased implementation, and detailed BIM coordination to support constructability reviews, trade coordination, installation sequencing, and accurate project documentation.

Our Solution

Yearout furnished and installed the mechanical backbone of the Central Utility Plant, including four high-efficiency hot water boilers, three 750-ton centrifugal chillers, two 225-ton screw chillers, cooling towers, heat exchangers, pumps, expansion tanks, air separators, and complete chilled-water, heating-hot-water, and condenser-water systems.

Together, the five chillers provide approximately 2,700 tons of installed cooling capacity. Yearout also integrated advanced automation and controls throughout the facility, providing real-time monitoring, alarming, trending, and operational control through a fully integrated BuildingManagement System.

Phased Commissioning

A key component of the project was Yearout's phased commissioning approach. Central Utility Plant equipment and controls were commissioned before the hospital load was applied and again as the facility transitioned into active operation. This process supported verification of equipment performance, controls integration, and overall system reliability under operating conditions.

Project Result

The completed Central Utility Plant provides critical mechanical infrastructure supporting one of the Southwest's most important healthcare facilities. Through detailed planning, BIM coordination, controls integration, and disciplined commissioning, Yearout delivered a resilient utility plant designed to support reliable hospital operations and long-term facility performance.