VII: Energy & Water

Policies & Principles Environmental Council Environmental Studies Program Fellowships in Environmental Journalism Archives

SUMMARY:

Increasing Energy and Water Consumption
Energy and water consumption will only be increasing as the college expands its facilities to accommodate more students in the years to come. The new Science Center (Bicentennial Hall) and the new hockey rink will consume a significant amount of energy. Steam Used to Heat Buildings and Co-Generate Electricity
The amount of steam consumed each year is dependent on how cold of a winter we have. Steam is an efficient means of heating the facilities. The central plant burns Crude #6 oil. During the winter Middlebury College receives 35,000 gallons of #6 a week, and 14-20,000 gallons per week during the summer. In addition to providing heat, steam also heats our water, drives our dryers, and creates electricity. At present the college co-generates 13-15% of the electricity we consume. As the college renovates or builds facilities it tries to install the most efficient energy systems. Facilities is expecting a 4% increase in electricity costs by January of 1999, from new buildings. This will increase our electric bill by $50,000. Water Consumption
Middlebury College consumes a significant amount of water, however we have been making strides towards conservation. Low flow shower heads have been placed in nearly every building on campus, and the annual Environmental Fair provides information for students on water conservation. Regardless of the reality of the situation, water is not commonly viewed as a scarce resource in New England, so changes in behavior are difficult to promote. However, between '95-'96 and '96-'97, water consumption dropped by 18% overall and 19% per person. This may not indicate a true trend since it only looks at two years, but it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the future. Heating Plant (Physical Plant) Steam Generated by Physical Plant

Jul 96 - Jun 97	148,926,050 lb. of steam
Jul 95 - Jun 96	159, 687,555 lb. of steam

Buildings Receiving Heat From Physical Plant

TOTAL Sq. Footage	1,385,921 sq. ft.
Residence Hall Sq. Footage	570,000 sq.ft.

Inefficient Buildings - Physical Plant (need retrofits to be at desired level of efficiency)

Forest	61,000 sq.ft.
Stewart	36,200 sq. ft.
Allen	27,500 sq. ft.
(above three buildings still using steam radiators)
Adirondack	18,400 sq. ft.
Carr	8,400 sq. ft.
Mead Chapel	10,900 sq. ft.
Munroe	21,900 sq. ft.
Proctor	42,100 sq. ft.
Science Center	84,000 sq. ft.
Service Building	40,000 sq. ft.
Warner	25,400 sq. ft.
Wright	16,400 sq. ft.
TOTAL Inefficient Sq. Footage	392,200 sq. ft.
(28% of steam heated buildings)

Buildings NOT tied in to the central plant

Twilight Hall	(oil burners)
Centeno (DU)	(electric heat)
Emma Willard	(oil burners)
KDR	(electric heat)
Mill	(electric heat)
Palana	(electric heat)
Feise	(electric heat)	7,500 sq.ft.
Tavern	(electric heat)	11,227 sq.ft.
New Ridgeline houses	(oil burners)	13,000 sq.ft. (x3)
all small houses

Buildings that will be added to the central plant

Bicentennial Hall (new science center)

(A $4000 to $6000 savings in electrical costs will be obtained from adding Tavern and Sig EP to the central plant. Additional costs to the Central Plant will be around $4000.) Electricity 10,658,530 Kw-hrs purchased
1,868,120 Kw-hrs co-generated (13-15%)
________________________________
12, 526,650 Total Kw-hrs used July 96 - June 97 1,434,790 sq.ft. of Middlebuey College's buildings use the above total of Kw-hrs. Buildings NOT on the central grid (not included in above totals)

all small houses

Fixtures that need to be updated

Stewart

Inefficient buildings from an electrical stand point

Wright

New electric loads

The Grille in McCullough (appropriated @ $15,000)

Buildings with Air Conditioning (approx. May-Sept.)

Johnson	39,400 sq.ft.	380 kwh increase per day
Science Center	8,000
FIC	2,000
Starr	2,000
CFA	190,000	875 kwhr for AC, 10-11 mths. a year
Kirk Alumni Center	9,000	200 kwh (Jun-Aug.) 100 kwh (May, Sept. Oct.)
Carr Hall	1,000
Emma Willard	600
Sunderland	8,000	550 kwh increase/day (May-Sept, 120 days)
Voter	9,000	420 kwh/day for the entire year

1 kwh costs 8.5 cents
above square footages and kwhs are approximate Electrical Supply Middlebury College cogeneration - about 13-15 %
Central Vermont Public Service - about 85-87 %

15 % - Wood/Other (inc. small producers, oil, trash incineration, methane, hydro, etc.)

Water Consumption

Year	Cubic Feet	Cubic Feet/Person
95-96	7,931,517	2,609
96-97	6,537,109	2,122

Energy/Water Conservation Actions

energy awareness information (posters, articles, contests, etc.)?	yes
low flow shower heads?	yes
low flush toilets?	yes
composting toilets or "living machine" waste composting system?	no
greywater / runoff recycling system?	no
alternative sources of energy (solar, wind, methane, etc.)?	no
smokestack emissions within acceptable standards?	yes

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Encourage energy awareness, especially during the winter. Educational efforts to raise awareness of energy use should be continued. 2. Encourage efficiencies during renovation and construction. In renovations and new construction, implement energy and water saving measures. 3. Consider large scale systems to improve sustainability of energy and water use. Consider implementing means for the College to produce its own heat and electricity, such as solar power or compost pile heat capture. New options for waste water purification and processing should be explored such as a greywater recycling system, and biological means of processing human waste.

SOURCES:

Jon Woodbury - Facilities Management
Karen Henderson - Facilities Management
Jack Crowther - Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS supply percentages)

COMPILED BY:

Andy McBeth

(NOTE: April Smith recommended that this section be expanded in coming years to better address water use at Middlebury. There should also be consideration of the role that computing plays in the College's energy use and how we can plan to alleviate some of the increase caused by networking the campus.)