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Title: Energy efficiency at the University of Miami

Journal Article · · Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment
OSTI ID:253636
 [1];
  1. Univ. of Miami, FL (United States)

The University of Miami (UM) has embarked on a very important and worthwhile mission: ``To make UM one of the most energy efficient universities in the nation by the year 2000``. In order for the University to meet this goal the authors knew they would need to take advantage of all the available technologies and address the freon issues. In June 1990 the Coral Gables Campus had five chilled Water Production Plants, each representing small independent systems serving from four to ten buildings. Because of energy conservation measures of the past, each plant had excess capacity. At that time they also had identified about 600 tons of old falling-apart air conditioning equipment. The Capital Construction Program was beginning design efforts for a new Music Recital Hall and an addition to the Law Library. With all this considered it made sense to develop a common chilled water loop to connect these plants and provide a vehicle to capitalize on available capacity. In early 1991 Florida Power and Light offered a new CILC rate with criteria that the chilled water plants met. It allowed them to produce air conditioning at 5.8 cents a kWh, compared to 7.5 cents a kWh, at the buildings. This, added to the reality of not having to maintain or replace the old systems, made this the number 1 priority project. They were convinced that this could give them a competitive edge over other institutions because it insured that they could produce air conditioning at the least cost per square foot.

OSTI ID:
253636
Journal Information:
Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment, Vol. 15, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Spr 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English