Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison Patrick McKee
Submission Date April 15, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

University of Connecticut
SD-10: Energy Use by Type

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Laura Dunn
Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Environmental Policy
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

The percentage of total electricity use from coal.:
0

The percentage of total electricity use from wind.:
2

The percentage of total electricity use from biomass.:
0

The percentage of total electricity use from natural gas.:
80

The percentage of total electricity use from solar PV.:
2

The percentage of total electricity use from geothermal.:
0

The percentage of total electricity use from nuclear.:
2

The percentage of total electricity use from hydro.:
2

The percentage of total electricity use from other.:
12

Provide a brief description.:
Oil is still used in back-up generators and as a fuel source on the grid, which still provides about 20% of our electricity, in total ~10% oil. The new fuel cell operates near capacity at 400 kW, which represents about 2% of our average daily demand

The percentage of total energy used for heating buildings from coal.:
0

The percentage of total energy used for heating buildings from biomass.:
0

The percentage of total energy used for heating buildings from electricity.:
1

The percentage of total energy used for heating buildings from natural gas.:
89

The percentage of total energy used for heating buildings from geothermal.:
0

The percentage of total energy used for heating buildings from fuel oil.:
10

The percentage of total energy used for heating buildings from other.:
0.02

Provide a brief description.:
The Shenkman Training Center, one of UConn's first LEED Silver certified buildings, uses highly-efficient infrared radiant heating

If cogeneration, please explain.:
Low pressure steam from the COGEN facility (natural gas-fired) is used for campus heating. Buildings not connected to the steam loop are heated by either natural gas or fuel oil, or electric heat.

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

UConn generates most of its electricity for the main campus through a natural gas-fired highly efficient 25 MW cogen facility, which came on-line in 2006. In CT the cogen qualifies as a class 3 renewable resource based on its natural gas fuel and efficiency as an on-site source of combined heat and power. Earlier this year, UConn activated a new 400 kW hydrogen fuel cell for the portion of the main campus referred to as the Depot Campus, taking most of the Depot off-grid. For the remaining electricty needs at the main campus (20%) UConn is under a long-term contract that specifies at least 25% renewable energy sources to be delivered by CL&P. We divided this equally among solar, wind and hydro for 2% each.

The University’s Cogeneration facility uses natural gas, with ultra-low sulfur fuel oil (ULSF) as a back-up fuel source, to fire three Solar Taurus 70 combustion turbine generators to produce electricity. Waste heat from the turbines is used to produce high pressure steam, which is then used in a steam turbine generator to produce additional electricity. The steam turbine exhaust or reduced steam is supplied to internal plant use, to provide Chilled Water via the three York absorption chillers or to the campus distribution network. The network reduces the steam to low pressure 65 psig for building heating and kitchen service. As UConn’s cogeneration facility is classified as a Class III Renewable Energy source by the State of Connecticut, it generates Class III Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).

Working with the CT Center for Advanced Technologies (CCAT) and pursuant to our Climate Action Plan, UConn recently developed a Renewable/Sustainable Energy Strategic Plan that will facilitate the installation of up to six different types of distributed generation on our campus, including solar (PV and thermal), wind, geothermal, biomass/biofuels and fuel cell technologies.

http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/04/uconn-commissions-fuel-cell-power-plant/


UConn generates most of its electricity for the main campus through a natural gas-fired highly efficient 25 MW cogen facility, which came on-line in 2006. In CT the cogen qualifies as a class 3 renewable resource based on its natural gas fuel and efficiency as an on-site source of combined heat and power. Earlier this year, UConn activated a new 400 kW hydrogen fuel cell for the portion of the main campus referred to as the Depot Campus, taking most of the Depot off-grid. For the remaining electricty needs at the main campus (20%) UConn is under a long-term contract that specifies at least 25% renewable energy sources to be delivered by CL&P. We divided this equally among solar, wind and hydro for 2% each.

The University’s Cogeneration facility uses natural gas, with ultra-low sulfur fuel oil (ULSF) as a back-up fuel source, to fire three Solar Taurus 70 combustion turbine generators to produce electricity. Waste heat from the turbines is used to produce high pressure steam, which is then used in a steam turbine generator to produce additional electricity. The steam turbine exhaust or reduced steam is supplied to internal plant use, to provide Chilled Water via the three York absorption chillers or to the campus distribution network. The network reduces the steam to low pressure 65 psig for building heating and kitchen service. As UConn’s cogeneration facility is classified as a Class III Renewable Energy source by the State of Connecticut, it generates Class III Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).

Working with the CT Center for Advanced Technologies (CCAT) and pursuant to our Climate Action Plan, UConn recently developed a Renewable/Sustainable Energy Strategic Plan that will facilitate the installation of up to six different types of distributed generation on our campus, including solar (PV and thermal), wind, geothermal, biomass/biofuels and fuel cell technologies.

http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/04/uconn-commissions-fuel-cell-power-plant/

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.