Utilities >
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Save
Energy
What has the City Done to Save Energy?
- Overview of
Energy Saving Projects
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How do these projects
help the planet?
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How Much Money Does the
City Save?
- You can save energy too!
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Energy Saving Projects |
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At the Water
Reclamation Facility:
Eight 30 kW Capstone micro-turbine powered by methane gas. Heat
from the micro-turbine is used for heating the digesters which
eliminates the need to use the natural gas fired boiler.
Installation of a
high efficiency Turblex blower in the aeration process in the
aeration basin. The Turblex uses about half the energy of the old
blowers.
At the SLO Swim
Center:
Installation of one 60 kW micro-turbine powered by natural gas.
The micro-turbine generates almost enough electricity to power the
swim center complex plus add 500,000 btu’s of heat to the pool.
At the Utilities
Admin Building and the Ludwick Community Center:
Photo Voltaic systems were installed on both buildings, each
generating about 8 kW.
ENERGY SAVINGS AT
919 PALM
Construction was completed and staff moved into the office-garage
complex at 919 Palm in the Fall of 2006. The building design
included an innovative, energy saving geothermal heat exchanger. It
is technically called a Ground Loop Water Source Heat Pump. The
Ground loop is the unusual part of the system, the water source heat
pumps are the conventional. The geothermal ground loop element is
an alternative to a large central compressor/chiller and boiler.
Both use water to distribute heating and cooling in what is referred
to as a hydronic system.
For interior space
conditioning, there are 16 small water-source heat pumps that are
mounted above the T-bar ceiling. These are all connected to the
ground loop system, a very long continuous run of heavy duty plastic
pipe that loops up and down in about 50 drilled holes 285 feet deep
into the ground under the building. The heat pumps "push and pull"
heat from the continuously circulating, naturally
constant-temperature water as needed to provide heating and cooling
of the interior space.
Not only does this
innovative design save energy, it also saves water, reduces
pollutants, and lessens operational noise. The Gas Company presented
the City with an Energy Efficiency Champion Award, which is
displayed at 919 Palm.
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How
do these projects help the planet? |
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These cogeneration
projects, will pay environmental and economic dividends for decades:
Water
Reclamation Facility:
Equivalent of
removing 95 cars
SLO Swim
Center:
Equivalent of removing 33 cars
City’s efforts
will prevent 1.5 million lbs of CO2 from going into the atmosphere.
919 Palm:
Energy: A traditional large central
compressor/chiller/boiler system requires more fuel to operate than
the distributed heat pumps that use the natural temperature of the
earth to help balance the indoor temperature.
Water: The water savings comes from
not using a cooling tower that gives off heat through evaporation
and from having to only add minimal makeup water into the closed
loop system as needed. The alternative central plant (boiler,
chiller, cooling tower) not only loses water through evaporation
but also routinely must discharge a fair amount of water to the
sewer as part of normal operations.
Reduce pollutants: Eliminating
natural gas combustion emissions output from a traditional large
central boiler system reduces pollutants.
The water in the ground loop stays around 55°; It is a
continuous, closed loop of high density polyethylene plastic pipe
that loops down into, and back up out of, about 50 bored holes that
are a few hundred feet below ground level. These loops are all heat
fused together into one giant continuous run of
tubing that constantly moves water between the earth and the heat
pumps. The heat pumps absorb and reject heat into the loop as
needed, then the increased or reduced heat load created by the heat
pumps is equalized by passing through the loops that are deep in
the ground where the temperature is constant.
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How
Much Money Does the City Save? |
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Water Reclamation
Facility
|
Component |
Estimated
Annual $ Savings |
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Micro-turbine
Cogeneration |
$216,400 |
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High Efficiency
Blower |
$37,300 |
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Cooling Tower
High Efficiency Motors |
$9,100 |
|
Power Quality
Upgrades |
$16,700 |
|
Lighting |
$250 |
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TOTAL |
$279,500 |
SLO Swim Center
|
Component |
Estimated
Annual $ Savings |
|
Micro-turbine
Cogeneration |
$45,000 |
Water Treatment
Facility & Pump Stations
|
Component |
Estimated
Annual $ Savings |
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Power Quality
Upgrades |
$9,150 |
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Lighting |
$1,550 |
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TOTAL |
$10,700 |
Utilities
Administration & Ludwick Community Center
|
Component |
Estimated
Annual $ Savings |
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Photo Voltaic
System |
$6,100 |
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HVAC Controls |
$3,600 |
|
TOTAL |
$9,700 |
Project
Totals
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All Components |
Estimated
Annual $ Savings |
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$344,900 |
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Project Costs |
$3,019,328 |
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Average Payback
Period for Entire Project |
Less than 10
Years |
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You
can save energy too! |
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Energy
Conservation Product Information
www.energystar.gov |
www.cpuc.ca.gov |
Information about saving money and energy.
www.pge.com |
You can help make a
difference . . .
Make energy
efficiency a priority at home and work. By participating in The Gas
Company’s rebate, incentive and training programs you can save energy,
save money and help the environment. Visit The Gas Company online today
at:
www.socalgas.com/energyefficiency
* See The Gas
Company’s web site for program details, qualifications and restrictions.
Energy Efficiency can
help improve your company's bottom line... The Gas Company has expanded
its energy efficiency programs for businesses, which could amount to
$1.2 million annually per customer. Learn how your business can take
advantage of rebates, incentives, on-site energy efficiency audits and
free training opportunities for your employees by visiting
http://www.socalgas.com/energyefficiency
Start saving money and energy today.
* See The Gas Company’s web
site for program details, qualifications and restrictions
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