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by KERRY ZIMMERMAN
Intern News Reporter
A proposed $5.5 million loan contract for Appalachian State University will permanently reduce the university’s energy consumption by implementing energy-saving projects across campus.
The approval of a 12-year Energy Savings Production Contract (ESPC) with Pepco Energy Services will permit Appalachian to begin construction and installments of the projects outlined by the contract.
But this multi-million dollar loan is unlike many others of its kind: it costs Appalachian nothing.
The university uses
the money saved from its annual energy bills to incrementally pay back
the loan. If Appalachian’s savings do not meet the projected annual
amount, Pepco Energy Services will reimburse Appalachian for the
difference.
Appalachian
will be “replacing a lot of old, inefficient systems, getting a lot of
energy savings and saving on [its] utility budget,” Jerry L. Marshall,
energy manager of Appalachian’s Physical Plant said. “What’s not to
like?”
Pepco
Energy Services used data loggers on Appalachian’s steam, electricity
and water expenditure in campus buildings to measure the current
consumption, Marshall said. From this data, the company designed an
energy savings project best suited for Appalachian’s needs.
The contract will finance 25 energy conservation measures in buildings around campus.
Farthing Auditorium, Raley Hall and Walker Hall will be affected the most by these measures.
“They’re
in worse shape, and they’re also big energy users,” Marshall said. “All
three of these buildings are in the top ten...energy consumers.”
Overall, Marshall said the projects generate “equal savings between electricity and steam.”
The
estimated approval date is July 1, Michael O’Connor, director of the
Physical Plant said. Once approved, the contract’s one-year
installation plan will begin immediately.
The university also added an extra step in the process. “We did this particularly for students,” Marshall said.
Energy-reading
devices on the projects will monitor each building’s energy consumption
and send it to a Web site called “Building Dashboard,” developed by
Lucid Design Group.
“Students
will be able to get on the Internet and look at these various buildings
and see exactly how much energy they’re consuming in real time,”
Marshall said.
The Web site will also include a reading of the energy produced by the Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) projects.
“Eventually I’d like to see us get all our buildings included in this monitoring system,” Marshall said.
After the completion of this contract, Appalachian hopes to sign another performance contract for additional buildings.
“We’re hoping this is the start,” Marshall said.
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