The New Era of Energy at UMass Essay Example

would eventually impact the entire campus. This presents a significant liability concern.

The goal was to establish a power plant that could efficiently supply steam and electricity for the campus's needs for at least two decades, while also serving as a transportation hub at the former coal plant site. Juanita Holler, associate vice counselor facilities & campus services, mentioned their plan to create a temporary parking lot soon for campus use. However, their ultimate plan involved building a multi-level parking garage that would connect with the current center garage.

The construction of a combined heat and power (CHP) facility at UMass took a significant amount of time to complete, serving as a replacement for the previous coal power plant. This new facility has the capability to produce both thermal and electric energy, while keeping emissions at an extremely low level. Additionally, it is equipped with technology that allows for efficient distribution of this energy based on demand regulations. The CHP facility has a maximum capacity of generating 16 Megawatts and producing 380,000 Pounds per hour of steam. The total expenses for this project amounted to $118 million; however, despite its high cost, considering the growth of the campus, it is anticipated that the new plant will sufficiently meet university needs over the span of a 20-year bond utilized for financing.

According to John Mathews, the assistant director of campus projects for Facilities and Campus Planning, the new power plant successfully meets emission standards. It uses oil and natural gas as its energy sources and is a combined heat and power (CHP) facility. This CHP facility produces almost double the amount of steam

and five times more electric power compared to the previous power plant. Additionally, it has reduced greenhouse-gas emissions by about 85% on a tons-per-year basis. UMass considers the construction of this CHP facility a significant achievement for both the university and the community because it replaces an old coal plant. As part of this initiative, a regeneration system has been implemented to reuse approximately 200,000 gallons per day of effluent from the Amherst municipal wastewater treatment system for boiler and cooling-tower purposes.