Intouch - Energy Conservation at NIACC Reaps Rewards

Energy Conservation at NIACC Reaps Rewards

North Iowa Area Community College has taken a proactive approach to conserving energy on campus. A series of concerted efforts - from replacing lights to replacing the chiller which keeps the campus cool - has resulted in significant savings for the College not to mention substantial cash rebates.

Tony Pappas, NIACC's Technical Systems Supervisor who has led the conservation initiative, said people don't realize the size and complexity of the campus. "Our main campus encompasses over 330,000 square feet and our utilities run close to $400,000 a year," he said. "If I can save even one percent, look how much it has saved the institution."

NIACC recently surpassed the $100,000 mark in rebates collected from Alliant Utilities-Interstate Power Company for energy conservation efforts.

The College received a $72,000 check from the power company in April after purchasing a new chiller. The piece of equipment cools the water which is pumped underground throughout campus to maintain an appropriate temperature in buildings during summer months.

The new 500-ton chiller, which has an eight-year return on investment, has an energy rate of .44 kilowatts per ton as compared to .8 kw/ton with the old chiller.

"It is twice as efficient as the one it replaced, resulting in significant energy savings for the future," Pappas said. Besides the refund, the purchase resulted in an "Earthwise Energy Efficiency Award" from Trane.

Jeff Hermanson, a Key Account Manager with Alliant Utilities who awarded the check to NIACC, described the $72,000 for the new chiller as more of a grant. "We estimated the savings the higher efficient chiller will produce over the course of its life, and then gave the College money back based upon that savings," he said.

The energy management system at NIACC was initiated in 1984, when the College invested $130,000 to create the framework for a local area network (LAN). The campus-wide system, which paid for itself in 3 to 4 years, allows Pappas to control the campus climate from a personal computer.

The more than 1000 points (lights, air handling units, motors, thermostats, etc.) currently hooked up to the system are graphically depicted on Pappas' computer screen and may be individually manipulated with a click of the mouse. If necessary, he can even make adjustments through a remote dial up connection from home.

"It's really exciting to apply the new technologies," said Pappas. "There are always new and better ways to accomplish things, so we've continued to identify and pursue means to become more efficient."

Sandi Gobeli, NIACC Vice President for Administrative Services, described NIACC as a leader among community colleges in energy management. "Some of the schools are just getting into it now," she said. "But Tony got us started down the path almost 15 years ago."

In addition to the $72,000 for the chiller, the College has claimed nearly $30,000 in rebates by replacing light fixtures, motors and other energy-consuming items with more efficient ones.

Hermanson said these rebates are an incentive for companies to go from standard to premium equipment. "The rebates often offset the cost of higher efficient pieces of equipment which are typically more expensive," he said.

Pappas and his staff have targeted, among other things, the 6500 lights which illuminate the NIACC campus. Currently they are retrofitting the lighting in the residence halls and Beem Center. The latter project involves the replacement of 400 ballasts and 800 lamps.

Strategically-located occupancy sensors also shut off the lights in a room if there is sufficient sunlight or no movement for a period of time.

In addition, the team has replaced the 40-watt incandescent lights in over 100 exit signs with the 2-watt light-emitting diode (LED) type, substantially reducing the overall kilowatt load. The rebate for each sign is $25.

Other utility cost-cutting measures have included such simple efforts as installing reduced-flow shower heads in the residence halls and scheduling weekend activities in just one building. Plans are also in the works to conduct thermal scans of NIACC buildings next winter to identify areas of greatest heat loss.

Though Pappas has made significant progress, he shows no sign of slowing down. "I think it's important to be proactive and to think futuristically," he said. "Though energy conservation requires planning and budgeting each year, when you look at the return on investment, there's no reason not to do it."

North Iowa Area Community College, 500 College Drive, Mason City, IA 50401
641-423-1264 or 1-888-GO NIACC
www.niacc.edu