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Facilities Management
Converge & Conquer
7/1/2008
Intelligent and Green
TODAY, FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND CONTROL is moving beyond "intelligent,"
to "green," as campuses become concerned with tracking environmentally
hazardous emissions, and finding renewable energy sources, too.
Watch your CO2. Higher education institutions are now paying more attention to their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which greatly contribute to the greenhouse effect, according to experts who believe the country has perhaps 40 years to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions before facing catastrophic consequences. Currently, half of the electricity generated in the US comes from coal-fired power plants, which often spew out large amounts of carbon dioxide. And by 2030, analysts expect that the US coal-fired capacity could grow by as much as 120 GW, dramatically increasing the nation's CO2 emissions.
But the academy may just lead the charge to stanch the flow of those carbon dioxide emissions. "We are starting to see academic institutions install CO2 sensors so that they can monitor how much pollution their buildings are generating, and try to make adjustments," notes Davis Gandees, sales engineer for Johnson Controls.
Water, water, everywhere. Then there's the push to use renewable energy sources such as water-- now a bona fide movement on a number of campuses. Duke Raleigh Hospital, a member of the Duke University Health System (NC), consumes from 10,000 to 12,000 gallons of water each month. In 2004, the hospital, which has 186 beds and approximately 1,000 employees, was looking to more efficiently prepare its hot water (used for steam autoclave sterilization, cooking, dishwashing, and domestic hot water heat). The healthcare provider purchased a Miura LX-Series gas-fired 100BHP steam boiler, and has since seen improvements through the installation: The boiler is "intelligent," with an easy-to-operate interface, says Shannon Clifton, the hospital's engineering supervisor. What's more, she adds, it fits into smaller spaces than do traditional boilers.
Water also is becoming a popular source of energy for campuses. Harvard University (MA) included a chilled water plant in its Northwest Science Building, which occupies 210,000 square feet above ground and 260,000 subterranean square feet. The chillers are precision machines designed to remove heat from a liquid by means of a refrigerant. The resulting chilled water, distributed through pipes, is then used to cool and dehumidify air throughout the building. The new science structure, which was opened in January 2008, supports work areas for 320 individuals and also laboratory facilities for the neuroscience, bioengineering, astro- and particle physics, and biophysics departments. The chilled water plant now offers several advantages compared to alternatives: higher energy efficiency; increased reliability; space efficiency; improved noise control; and simplified maintenance. The new chillers operate so efficiently, say Harvard officials, the university will receive a rebate check of $250,000 from its energy provider NSTAR. Clearly, it pays for academic institutions to consider not just intelligent facilities control, but intelligently green measures, as well.
Real-Life Challenges and Solutions
Support for BACnet played an important role in the intelligent building sensor selection completed at Cornell University (NY). William (Lanny) Joyce heads up engineering, planning, and energy management at the university, where his staff oversees 140 buildings and 14 million square feet of real estate occupied by 20,000 students, 2,700 faculty members, and an 11,500-person staff. Notes Joyce: "One of our employees was a member of the BACnet committee, so we understood the potential benefits that it offered."
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