Conference
Wrapup
“Repowering” in Reno:
Campus conference focuses
on challenges, opportunities
Modernizing. Managing for greater efficiency. Investing in enhanced technology. Lowering
carbon emissions. Campus utility systems across the country are actively
retooling their operations to meet
the challenges and opportunities of
today’s carbon- and capital-constrained
economy – in essence, “Repowering
the Future.” That was the theme of
IDEA’s 23rd Annual Campus Energy
Conference, where association members
and other industry professionals gathered to share their insights on operating
district energy systems successfully
both now and long-term. Hosted by the
Photo Jerry Newton Photography.
Nearly 430 participants registered for this
year’s Campus Energy Conference, including
a high percentage of first-time attendees –
an encouraging signal of industry activity.
University of Nevada, Reno, the event
took place Feb. 9-12 at the Peppermill
Reno Hotel.
Setting the Tone
The conference theme proved
timely and relevant as it was reinforced
by remarks in the opening plenary session by eight panelists from many of the
nation’s leading institutions. Their discussion set the conference tone and agenda.
Jim Adams of Cornell University spoke of
implementing a Climate Action Plan, with
the recent commencement of a natural
gas-fired combined heat and power facility that will substantially reduce reliance
on coal and cut direct emissions of CO2.
Significant investments like campus CHP
must be analyzed through a range of
fuel price scenarios and a combination
of economic and environmental lenses,
including life-cycle cost analyses with sen-sitivities to fuel volatility and future value
of carbon allowances.
Ray DuBose of The University of
North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill,
chair of last year’s campus energy
conference, discussed the long-term
significance of sustainability at UNC
and the important role that the campus
utility department plays in sustainability
planning, evaluation, implementation
and ongoing education.
Juan Ontiveros, current IDEA chair
from The University of Texas at Austin,
outlined his campus’s continuing
efforts to enhance utility system
energy efficiency by incorporating
new monitoring and modeling tools
that more fully identify operational
efficiencies in production, distribution
and operation of customer buildings.
Likewise, Princeton University is
tightening systems and insulating equipment all across campus. According to
Tom Nyquist, Princeton is looking to
maximize operational efficiency of its
cogeneration system, aided in part by
recent state legislation that reduces sales
and use taxes on natural gas for cogeneration. This legislation also allows operators to effectively “wheel power” through
the local electrical distribution grid to
customers also served with thermal
energy through district energy networks.
Jeff Zumwalt of The University of
New Mexico and Steve Swinson of
Thermal Energy Corp. discussed how
carbon emissions regulations might
impact their respective cogeneration
systems and the need for both greater
clarity and continued advocacy for
reasonable policy treatment for the
reduced regional greenhouse gas emissions provided by campus CHP systems.
Sustainability practices have been
integrated into university utility operations and are now a primary driver
of institutional missions. Both Steve
Mischissin of UNR and Gregg Coffin of
