Campus Central Heating Plant - New business models and sustainable tech
We currently have an older central heating plant that burns Bunker C and are examining options for the future. Are there good examples of central heating plant projects that use different business models for renewal and are using more sustainable technologies successfully.
Thank you Rochelle
Rochelle,
There are many innovative and exciting examples of colleges and universities switching to sustainable technologies to heat and power their campuses. The best options will depend on your campus location and the most appropriate resources available. A hybrid approach and a diversity of energy choices is always the best choice in my opinion because it offers increased flexibility and reliability. For thermal energy, i.e. heating a campus, Solar Hot Water, Geothermal, and Biomass, are some of the most cost-effective clean energy solutions.
Recently many colleges and universities, both large and small, have been switching to sustainable biomass fuels for their energy needs. Modern biomass energy systems are clean burning and extremely efficient and have an added benefit of being a LOCAL renewable energy source. Middlebury College in Vermont gets all of its biomass fuels within a 50 mile radius providing added socio-economic benefits of supporting local jobs, forestry management initiatives, and increasing the local tax base significantly by keeping their energy dollars in their community.
Central heating plants are an efficient way to distribute the thermal energy around the campus, but some smaller campuses have also created systems with which they will heat a few buildings with a wood pellet or wood chip system. College of the Atlantic in Maine recently installed a biomass system which provides heat to some residence halls and a student center and effectively supplies1/5 of their campus heating needs.
You can find more case studies and information on biomass energy at the Biomass Energy Resource Center.
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The University of NH just went through a major CHP overhaul of their central plant that is fueled with landfill gas...which is pretty cool. Middlebury College just replaced all their bunker C fuel with biomass...also very cool...two places to start.
Bill