Officials from Memorial University and Honeywell have announced their plans for a $13.2-million energy savings and facility renewal project. The project will enable the university to offset the impact of rising energy costs while reducing maintenance costs and improving comfort for its more than 20,000 students, faculty and staff.

The work, focused on eight buildings on the St. John’s campus, will include infrastructure upgrades, such as new lighting and heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) equipment; improvements to mechanical systems; and upgrades to building automation systems to optimize energy management across the university. Wherever possible, energy-efficient technologies will replace older, less-efficient systems -- reducing electricity, fuel consumption and related costs.  The project will also have a significant environmental outcome. For example, it is expected to decrease carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 15 per cent or 7,300 tonnes per year. That’s equivalent to removing 1,150 cars from the road, according to Environment Canada.

“We are addressing our current and future energy needs proactively so we can direct the savings to educational and research purposes,” said Memorial President Axel Meisen. “By reducing our demand for energy, we are also helping the environment.”

Memorial will finance the work from the energy and operational savings the improvements will generate. Honeywell guarantees those savings – projected to be approximately $1.5 million per year over the next 14 years – under a performance contract with the university. This ensures the project will be self funded and will not place an additional burden on the university’s budgets.

The contract between Memorial and Honeywell waits government approval. The project is being co-ordinated by Darrell Miles, the director of Memorial’s Department of Facilities Management.

 

“Colleges and universities across the country are caught in a vicious operating cost squeeze, caused in large part by soaring energy prices,” said Joe Puishys, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. “Energy performance contracts help them cut energy use sharply, and improve the comfort and efficiency of their buildings, all without having to tap current budgets.”

Honeywell began its involvement in the project by identifying areas where upgrades would have a significant effect on energy efficiency and building improvements. Once the engineering audit and report was complete, Honeywell and Memorial jointly planned the project, choosing the measures with the greatest impact.

Specifically, Honeywell will install new lighting that will decrease energy consumption while providing better illumination. The company also will implement new lighting control strategies. In addition, the existing chiller dating back to the 1970s will be replaced with a high-efficiency, environmentally friendly chiller. And Honeywell experts will oversee modifications to the fume hood exhaust system in the Department of Chemistry that will help improve the removal of noxious gases from laboratories. A variety of other HVAC, humidification and mechanical equipment will be upgraded as well. 

 

The project will commence this fall and Honeywell expects to complete the work over the next two years.