IN DEPTH: USU working to lower energy bill
USU is working to cut back on the school’s already large energy bill, said University Director of Operations Stanley Kane.
Kane said USU is currently struggling with their utility bill. For years, the school’s electricity has been bought from Logan City for a higher cost than what other colleges in the state are paying from Rocky Mountain Power.
According to Kane, USU is paying roughly $2 million on electricity yearly and $3 million on gas. He said the university’s utility bills are paid for by the state but that doesn’t make the state good stewards of energy because many energy-saving projects must come out of the school’s own pocket. He said if the utility bill is reduced because of the school spending their own money to save energy, there becomes no incentive for the school.
However, Kane said a law was recently passed that if universities spend money on projects that would conserve energy, the university would receive a share of the money they save so it can later be placed towards more energy saving projects.
“It’s complicated but it is the right thing to do,” Kane said. “We have always done it, but it just has always seemed unfair that the colleges that haven’t been as good stewards as we have continue to be funded at the level they need.”
According to the 2007 Campus Energy Conservation Plan, USU spends more than 2 percent of the university’s annual budget. The plan also states since 1990, USU has invested more than $3.5 million in energy conservation projects, which create savings totaling $2 million dollars a year.
Kane said the campus dates back to the turn of the 19th century. He said much of the energy installation done during the time period has had to be replaced. Kane also said many buildings on campus built in the 1950s and 1960s were constructed when energy was not expensive, which resulted in an inadequate level of thermal installation placed to save energy and increase comfort.
Kane said Old Main, the oldest building on campus, is just one example of many conserving energy projects. He said the windows in Old Main have been replaced to triple pane windows. They have also added insulation to the walls and attic, he said.
According to the conservation plan, in the past 15 years more than 100 projects have been done on campus to conserve energy. Kane said a large number of those projects relate to the day-to-day use of campus facilities.
Over the past few years, one project they have undertaken is replacing many of the lights with fluorescent lamps, he said. Kane said the university replaced the old lights with a fluorescent lamps which uses half the amount of energy for the same amount of light. Most of the buildings have been replaced with these lights and he said he hopes to eventually get all of the buildings converted to the new lighting system.
Room occupancy censors have also been added to many rooms spread on campus, he said. Kane said these lights will automatically turn off if there is no movement in the room and will turn on if triggered.
Kane said in the past few years the state has helped fund the replacement of lights but they no longer contribute to the project. However, he said, the state will lend the school money and the university will pay them back out of the energy savings dollars. This money is given to the school through the energy conserving legislature which was recently passed, he said.
Another project being looked into is the placing of plant material on the roof of the library. Michael Deitz, assistant professor and specialist for sustainability, said the biggest hurdle is to find the money to construct the green roof. Deitz said when the library was built it was constructed to support the plants but it requires a substantial amount of money for the planting of the vegetation.
Deitz said even though the project will require a significant amount of money, the green roof will provide many benefits for its users.
“Having the green roof will not only decrease our energy usage on campus,” Deitz said, “but it will also provide a great research site for the students to use.”
The state does not provide funding for such a project but Deitz said grants could be one root to getting the money needed.
One project Kane said the university has been working towards, has been the replacing of many buried steam lines under the roads. Kane said by replacing the lines they are able to save a lot of steam, which results in saving energy.
“If you think of having to boil water to make steam, and not all of that water condenses, you have to put fresh water in for making the steam,” he said. “You can understand how you lose a lot of energy.”
The steam is made from gas that is burnt in a boiler, Kane said. The steam then goes out to the buildings on campus which creates the heat in the building and comes back as cold condensate.
Kane said this is an expensive project because in order to prevent the condensate pipes from corroding, they are built with steel and buried with an insulation material which repels water. Kane said the repelling of water on the pipes is similar to water running off of a duck’s back.
All the lines are not completed on campus, but Kane said roughly 80 percent of the worst lines have been replaced.
Kane said when people ask what they can do to save energy and money on campus he tells them to S.O.S or “switch off something.” He said S.O.S was used as a call for helping ships and it can be used now to help save money and energy on campus. Kane said it doesn’t matter what individuals decide to switch off, it just needs to be done.
According to the USU’s energy plan, in 2006 Stan Albrecht identified several ways for USU employees to help dramatically reduce the energy and electricity use. He said by closing the blinds at the end of the day, turning off computer monitors, printers and copiers, discontinuing use of portable heaters and closing fume hoods whenever possible will help save a substantial amount of energy use.
Deitz said students who want to do more to help conserve energy on campus can take the challenge placed on the Sustainability Counsel’s Web site. He said there are many small things that students can do that will drastically help reduce costs for the university.
“Even though you are living in a dorm or an apartment,” he said, “you don’t think you can help much but you certainly can.”
-courtnie.packer@aggiemail.usu.edu