2008 Woodie Awards
YSU slowly turning green
Sarah Sole, News Editor
Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Sports
Though there is still work to be done, Youngstown State University is working toward a greener, more energy-efficient campus.
As a result of partnering with Johnson Controls, a facilities management and control company that guaranteed YSU a savings of $1.3 million per year over a 10-year period, the university has updated its fluorescent bulbs to a more efficient model, saving a projected $483,000 annually. The university also renovated the power plant to use more environmentally friendly coolant, saving a projected $98,000 annually.
The original coolant in the power plant was the worst coolant in terms of its ozone depletion factor and was expensive, said David Gaffeny, performance assurance engineer for Johnson Controls. The new coolant is environmentally friendly, and has been operating in the power plant since April 15, 2007.
Despite improvements, YSU has additional options it could improve.
Since Beeghly Center was having problems with water temperature, Johnson Controls contracted an outside company, ThermRestore, to clean the heat exchangers and get rid of the calcium deposit on the inside of the pipes, Gaffeny said.
ThermRestore reported to Johnson Controls that if the heat exchangers were cleaned across campus, YSU could potentially see $870,000 in savings over a three-year period, Gaffeny said, adding that the estimate is rough.
"Those numbers are not concrete," he said.
However, Gaffeny said YSU could have potential savings if it were to clean the entire campus' heat exchangers. Since the cleaned pipes would get better heat transfer, they would require less steam to heat the water.
Though the university is discussing cleaning the heat exchangers, carrying out the process would require finding the money, Gaffeny said.
"Tbere's nothing set in stone," he said.
John Hyden, executive director of facilities at YSU, said the university hasn't examined cleaning the entire campus' heat exchangers. YSU decided to look at Beeghly Center to improve the building's recirculating lines to enable water to be hot without a wait. Before, students were turning on showers before they actually used them so water would be hot when they got in.
As a result of partnering with Johnson Controls, a facilities management and control company that guaranteed YSU a savings of $1.3 million per year over a 10-year period, the university has updated its fluorescent bulbs to a more efficient model, saving a projected $483,000 annually. The university also renovated the power plant to use more environmentally friendly coolant, saving a projected $98,000 annually.
The original coolant in the power plant was the worst coolant in terms of its ozone depletion factor and was expensive, said David Gaffeny, performance assurance engineer for Johnson Controls. The new coolant is environmentally friendly, and has been operating in the power plant since April 15, 2007.
Despite improvements, YSU has additional options it could improve.
Since Beeghly Center was having problems with water temperature, Johnson Controls contracted an outside company, ThermRestore, to clean the heat exchangers and get rid of the calcium deposit on the inside of the pipes, Gaffeny said.
ThermRestore reported to Johnson Controls that if the heat exchangers were cleaned across campus, YSU could potentially see $870,000 in savings over a three-year period, Gaffeny said, adding that the estimate is rough.
"Those numbers are not concrete," he said.
However, Gaffeny said YSU could have potential savings if it were to clean the entire campus' heat exchangers. Since the cleaned pipes would get better heat transfer, they would require less steam to heat the water.
Though the university is discussing cleaning the heat exchangers, carrying out the process would require finding the money, Gaffeny said.
"Tbere's nothing set in stone," he said.
John Hyden, executive director of facilities at YSU, said the university hasn't examined cleaning the entire campus' heat exchangers. YSU decided to look at Beeghly Center to improve the building's recirculating lines to enable water to be hot without a wait. Before, students were turning on showers before they actually used them so water would be hot when they got in.
Be the first to comment on this story