Physical Plant Energy Conservation Project

Physical Plant is currently managing a $43 million energy conservation project for the entire campus. The project includes lighting and lighting controls, new chillers, building mechanical improvements, and water conservation measures including low flow toilets. Steam and electric distribution improvements have also been initiated, including building metering. Because each building has a metering system, the results of the energy conservation project can be tracked and verified. Results to date since 2004 include a 24% reduction in steam, 9% reduction in electricity, and 36% reduction in water consumption 2004.

New Central Heating Plant

The Central Heating Plant will use the latest pollution control technologies, including advanced combustion turbine low NOx burners, advanced Selective Catalytic Reduction and Oxidation Catalyst pollution control technologies, and will feature a combined cycle system comprised of 'topping' and 'bottoming' steam turbines, in addition to its combined heat and power process systems. When placed in service early in 2008, it will utilize technologies not commercially available before its construction. The new Central Heating Plant has some of the most stringent air quality permit requirements for a combustion turbine facility of its kind in the United States. Its combined heat and power applications, together with its advanced co-generation systems, will result in the most efficient thermodynamic cycles possible. Its recycling of municipal wastewater plant effluent for boiler make-up water will reduce the demand for process water on the local public drinking water system (fed by groundwater wells) by 200,000 gallons per day.

The Central Heating Plant will be housed in an aesthetically-pleasing 45,000 square foot building. Its power process systems include a 10 mw combustion gas turbine, a heat recovery steam generator, package boilers, various administrative spaces, and auxiliary equipment. The new CHP will produce up to 14.5 million watts of electricity at 13.8 kilovolts for on-campus consumption. A heat recovery steam generator will use the exhaust heat from the gas turbine to produce steam for campus heating year-round. Three package boilers, each rated up to 125,000 pounds per hour steam, will provide additional steam capacity to meet campus demand in the spring, fall, and winter months. Environmental controls include selective catalytic reduction to control the emissions of nitrous oxide, and oxidation catalysts to control carbon monoxide emissions. Two 20-inch main steam transmission lines will connect the plant to the existing campus distribution system near the west end of the campus parking garage.

Two steam turbine generators will further improve the heat rate and energy performance of this facility. The steam turbines will total 4.5 mw and be fed off of 600 psig and 200 psig plant steam headers, exhausting to the campus distribution system at 15 psig.

Greenhouse Gas Reductions

The reduction in steam consumption reduces fossil fuel use in the heating plant. Technology designed into the new Central Heating Plant will reduce greenhouse gas emissions further. Finally, the ability to generate electricity close to the point of use eliminates carbon emissions associated with power line losses from purchased electricity, reducing emissions from regional power producers.

UMass Computerized Energy Management System

Microprocessor Control systems have been set up so that each building on campus is monitored for its minute-by-minute usage of electricity, water, and steam through centralized controls and timers. Using this system, the campus won a Demand Response Management award from ISO New England for reducing its power requirements by 1.5 megawatts in response to a heat wave in the summer of 2006.

Steam Line System

UMass has replaced a significant percentage of steam lines displaying a high infrared heat signature during the past two years. Leaks and inefficiencies of the old steam lines resulted in major economic losses to the campus. The improvements have cut roughly a third off of steam distribution losses, leading to big cost savings as well as more efficient heating systems.

Energy Conservation Measures

More than forty individual energy conservation measures have been developed by the campus; some of which are far along in the implementation process. Baseline numbers generated by the building meters (Computerized Energy Management System) help determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the ECMs.