College to make its own power

Nov 7 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Lori Shull Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.

In a few months, SUNY Potsdam will have the capability to produce 70 percent of its electricity on campus.

The college is installing two engines that will use natural gas to create electricity, as well as hot water for heat. The project has been a topic of discussion for more than a decade, and it is finally coming to fruition, according to J. Anthony DiTullio, the college's director of facilities planning.

"It actually cuts our greenhouse gas output by 50 percent," Mr. DiTullio said. "We're looking at probably mid-January to start testing -- and we've got a lot of testing to do. Hopefully, in February, if we have enough people trained, we can start using it."

The engines, which are each capable of generating 1.4 megawatts of power, were installed earlier this week. They use the natural gas to turn a wheel in the generators, which create electricity. The engines produce large amounts of heat as a byproduct, which then heats air to make steam that can either be sent around the campus for heat or cooled again to be used in air conditioning units over the summer.

The project began to move forward several years ago, when the college conducted some feasibility studies. Then-Assemblyman Darrell J. Aubertine secured the college an $8 million grant to design and create the co-generation plant.

"We're replacing 2.8 mega-watts that National Grid doesn't have to," Mr. DiTullio said. "The assumption is they're shutting down the dirtiest coal plant" to compensate.

At its highest peak time for energy demand, the college needs 3.9 megawatts, but after classes end at about 4 p.m., the need drops down below the maximum 2.8 megawatts the plant will be able to produce, the director said.

The co-generation plant is just one piece of a puzzle as the college works to become more energy-efficient. The facilities staff is beginning to monitor meters more closely so they know what times of the day they generally approach peak usage. At those times, demand for electricity is high and prices go up accordingly. When they are approaching peak, staff will begin shutting down fans that run all day long for 15 minute intervals, cycling the shutdowns throughout the campus to lessen the effect on people in each building.

Staff members will use the data to create a load-management plan by the summer and begin monitoring their usage accordingly, according to Mr. DiTullio.

"The savings are out there and it's easy pickings, but you've got to know what you're doing," he said. "Right now, we don't know that, but hopefully by July we'll have that figured out."