Friday, January 7, 2011PORTLAND, Maine — The University of Southern Maine recently converted the Portland campus central heat plant from oil to natural gas. The change was one of a number of goals included in USM's "Plan for Carbon Neutrality.
"This is a huge accomplishment that has many environmental as well as economic benefits," said USM Executive Director of Facilities Management Bob Bertram.
With the Portland conversion from #6 residual oil, USM central plants in both Gorham and Portland now use natural gas, reducing USM's carbon output by 1,048 metric tons per year.
This reduction, notes Bertram, is equivalent to: Not burning 117,885 gallons of gasoline; or the average amount of electricity used in 127 homes for a year; or not using 43,667 home barbeque propane cylinders.
USM burned an average of 280,000 gallons of oil per year to heat the Portland campus. At current market prices for oil, this represents an annual cost of about $610,000. The conversion from oil to natural gas is estimated to save the University approximately $315,000 next year in utility costs.
USM Facilities budgeted $270,000 to retrofit its Portland plant, an investment it is expected to recoup in the very first year. Natural gas prices are expected to stay low relative to oil and with the ongoing savings, USM will be able to make needed reinvestments in its backlog of infrastructure and physical plant needs.
USM's Department of Facilities Management has been working for a number of years with Unitil — the provider of natural gas to customers throughout New England — to bring a new pipeline to Durham Street that could supply USM's Portland campus with much lower carbon content gas.
"Early last summer," said Bertram, "with assistance from Competitive Energy Services, our energy procurement consultant, we received word from Unitil that with our agreement to convert our main boiler to natural gas they would have the fuel available for the 2011 heating season. Unitil's commitment to this project and to our goal of becoming more environmentally and fiscally sustainable is most appreciated."
"This is a huge accomplishment that has many environmental as well as economic benefits," said USM Executive Director of Facilities Management Bob Bertram.
With the Portland conversion from #6 residual oil, USM central plants in both Gorham and Portland now use natural gas, reducing USM's carbon output by 1,048 metric tons per year.
This reduction, notes Bertram, is equivalent to: Not burning 117,885 gallons of gasoline; or the average amount of electricity used in 127 homes for a year; or not using 43,667 home barbeque propane cylinders.
USM burned an average of 280,000 gallons of oil per year to heat the Portland campus. At current market prices for oil, this represents an annual cost of about $610,000. The conversion from oil to natural gas is estimated to save the University approximately $315,000 next year in utility costs.
USM Facilities budgeted $270,000 to retrofit its Portland plant, an investment it is expected to recoup in the very first year. Natural gas prices are expected to stay low relative to oil and with the ongoing savings, USM will be able to make needed reinvestments in its backlog of infrastructure and physical plant needs.
USM's Department of Facilities Management has been working for a number of years with Unitil — the provider of natural gas to customers throughout New England — to bring a new pipeline to Durham Street that could supply USM's Portland campus with much lower carbon content gas.
"Early last summer," said Bertram, "with assistance from Competitive Energy Services, our energy procurement consultant, we received word from Unitil that with our agreement to convert our main boiler to natural gas they would have the fuel available for the 2011 heating season. Unitil's commitment to this project and to our goal of becoming more environmentally and fiscally sustainable is most appreciated."
No comments:
Post a Comment