District Energy

4th Quarter 1995 | Volume 81 Number 2

On the Cover:

Taken from the observation level of Hoover Tower, this is a westerly view of the Central Energy Facility and Cardinal Cogen Plant at Stanford University. Expansion construction at the Center for Integrated Systems (CIS) is visible in the foreground.

Stanford University: Powered for the future (p13)

Marion King, Steam System Operations Manager, Stanford University; Robert field. Energy Group Manager, Stanford University

Serving hundreds of campus buildings with steam, chilled water and/or electricity, Stanford University will host IDEA'S Ninth Annual College and University Conference Feb. 21-23, 1996. The University provides service from two adjacent facilities, one owned by the University and one privately owned and operated cogeneration facility. In 2002, the contract for cogeneration plant operation expires and the University is now evaluating what the future holds.

District Energy: More Than 70 Years at University of Rochester (p5)

Bill Nichols, Chief, Central Utilities Plant, University of Rochester: Morris A. Pierce, Energy Manager, University of Rochester

The coal-fired Central Utilities Plant at the University of Rochester has provided steam to campus buildings since 1924. A district cooling system was added in the early 1970s. Both systems have been upgraded over time, including a recent chiller conversion to R-134a. University energy consumption has remained relatively stable for the past five years, even though new buildings have been constructed.

Boiler Automation Saves Medical Center $180,000 in First Nine Months (p10)

Tim McCarthy, Burner-Boiler Controls Product Manager, Honeywell Home and Building Control

The facilities managers at the 1.2 million-square-foot Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Mich., were recently faced with a challenge from management to cut $200,000 from their annual budget. One of their decisions was to install a new boiler control system, the Honeywell BCS 7700. In nine months, the medical center experienced a $180,000 savings.

Ask APPA: Insight on Operating Higher Education Facilities (p19)

With IDEA's College and University Conference just around the corner, IDEA interviewed Wayne Leroy, executive vice president of the APPA, The Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers. Leroy offers his insight on the challenges faced by today's colleges and universities and what they are doing to adapt to the changing energy scene.

Thermal Expansion Solutions: Slip Joints, Metal Bellows or Pipe Loop? (p21)

David F. MeGrath, Director of Marketing, Senior Flexonics, Inc.

Selecting the appropriate thermal expansion method for steam or hot water district heat ing systems is a key factor in their successful operation. Slip joints, metal bellows and pipe loops all have their advantages and disadvantages, with certain methods being more suited to some applications than others. Reliability, durability and installation cost are all factors that need to be evaluated during heating system design.

Comparison of Ammonia With Other Refrigerants for District Cooling Plant Chillers (p25)

W.F. Stoecker, Ph.D.. PE.

The driving force for the current interest in ammonia is the need to replace CFCs and some HCFCs that have dominated air-conditioning applications. With CFC production phaseout around the corner, district cooling systems - new and old - are evaluating ammonia as an alternative refrigerant for chillers in their central plants. Reprinted with permission of ASHRAE.