Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Payback on back burner as OSU eyes fuel needs

Journal Article · · Energy User News; (United States)
OSTI ID:5166329
Ohio State University has invested over $1.5 million with no definite payback in order to reduce fuel consumption 45% and develop a secure fuel supply. The payback from a project to convert many of the school's gas-fired boilers to burn fuel oil will depend on future relative prices of the two fuels. Curtailments of natural gas will mean the school can remain open by using those buildings with oil furnaces. The school reduced all fuel use drastically and relied on body heat and heat from light bulbs during the 1977 fuel shortage. No maintenance or operating problems are anticipated as a result of the conversions. Other conservation programs include retrofitting 30 buildings with more-efficient heating, cooling, and ventilating equipment and future building modifications such as heat recovery systems, computerized controls, task-lighting, and re-scheduling building use patterns. The results have so far been to turn around an average energy growth of 10 to 15% and achieve a substantial decline in consumption in spite of a growth in building space.
OSTI ID:
5166329
Journal Information:
Energy User News; (United States), Journal Name: Energy User News; (United States) Vol. 3:2; ISSN EUSND
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English