Mountain Lake utility upgrades distribution system The small community of Mountain Lake, MN, wanted to give its customers more efficient, reliable electric service. Realizing that reliable and clean electrical power is vital in today's high-technology workplace, the Mountain Lake Municipal Utility began a program to bury all its power lines. The town of 2,000 is in Minnesota's southwest corner. The municipal utility looks forward to improving service to its 800 metered customers, with new conductors and related hardware that will result in fewer service interruptions, greater efficiency, and improved power quality. Utility benefits The utility will also benefit from the improvements. Electric Superintendent Harold Quiring predicts the upgrade will save the utility $15,000 each year in lost power alone. The project should be completed by autumn 1996. That's later than the original schedule, but factors beyond the utility's control moved back the completion date. "A utility as small as ours has to have good weather to get big projects done," said Quiring. "Mother Nature has to be on our side." That wasn't the case during the summer and fall of 1995, and winter weather this year continued to make work difficult. "We have to do this type of work ourselves, rather than hiring it out," said Quiring. "That means we have to work on it as time and other factors allow. Like today (late January), we have just come out of our latest ice storm and the town looks like a war zone. Trees and lines are down all over town. I wish we could just bury the fallen lines now, but that's not the way things work." Avoiding nature's whims Once buried, the lines will no longer be exposed to most of nature's whims. "If the wire is underground, high winds and icing will not play a part in interrupting local service like they do now, " Quiring explained. Since replacement of all wires and control devices will cut down power losses and even out delivery, we will also get more for our money and can use much more of the delivered power than in the past." This improved reliability, power quality, and efficiency should encourage present customers to use modern computer, communication, and data systems. Mountain Lake residents and officials hope the improvements also will attract new businesses. Quiring said that because of the delays, the project was only half completed by the end of January. He still hopes to finish before the end of this year. "We have to have better weather than last year, though," said Quiring. (For more information, call Quiring at (507) 427-2616.) Clearinghouse homepage linked to resources The Energy Ideas Clearinghouse homepage on the World Wide Web gives users a gateway to wide expanses of energy-related information- all at the click of a mouse button. In the last edition we discussed the many resources contained on the Clearinghouse's BBS. Through its "Links to Other Web Sites," the Clearinghouse also offers a "shortcut" to other Web pages containing useful information. The Clearinghouse features a list of more than 70 different sites, from "Air Conditioning Contractors of America" to "Western Area Power Administration." When you consider that each of these sites includes other links, the vastness of the resources at your fingertips is amazing! Web sites listed include utility homepages, including those for Western customers such as Tri-State Generation and Transmission in Colorado, Salt River Project in Arizona, and others. Any utility interested in designing its own Web site could scan the sites here to get ideas on design, content, and other issues. The links also can take users to government sites. For example, there's a link to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network. Or you can visit Web sites offered by the California Energy Commission, Washington State Energy Office, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Idaho Public Utilities Commission. Looking for information on a specific technology? That's here, too. Trade associations like the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, and International Association of Lighting Designers have Web pages that are easily accessible from the Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse also offers links to professional organizations, such as the Association of Energy Services Professionals, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and others. Interested in exploring renewable energy resource options? The Clearinghouse can help. It has links to sites that deal with sustainable development, hydropower, biomass energy, photovoltaics, and other renewable resources. There's a link to the Electric Power Research Institute, the Motor Challenge Program, and lots of other useful sites. Once you've found these sites, you can set up "bookmarks" to gain easy access without going through the Clearinghouse. But if you're looking for information for the first time, the Clearinghouse is a great place to start. To visit the Energy Ideas Clearinghouse website, set your web browser to: http://www.eicbbs.wseo.wa.gov Utilities study weatherization Every utility serves some customers who find it hard to pay their bills. Improving energy efficiency can lead to lower utility bills, making it easier for low income customers to pay. But the improvements cost money, too. In California, the state legislature attempted to solve this problem for municipal utility customers by passing SB1601, a bill to help low-income residents increase energy efficiency in their homes. The bill requires municipal utilities to provide weatherization assistance for low-income end-users with electrically heated homes. Cost tests To comply, municipal utilities must conduct simple cost tests on six weatherization measures-water heater blankets, low-flow faucets and showerheads, attic insulation, weatherstripping, caulking, and door and building envelope upgrades-to see which are cost-effective. The program emphasizes the savings gained compared with the cost to provide the assistance. Then, in phase two, the utility must develop a formal plan to set up a program based on the results. Western customer utilities Azusa, Banning, Colton, and Riverside sought a technical study assistance report through Western. Alameda worked with the Northern California Power Association (NCPA)on another study. In both cases, the object was to find the most cost-effective of the six programs listed by the state. NCPA's study found that only installation of water heater blankets and low-flow showerheads were cost-effective under the Total Resource Cost Test. Alameda found it had too few municipal electric consumers who meet guideline criteria to even operate a program. It identified only 160 to 200 kilowatthours (kWh) of annual savings per unit for adding attic insulation, caulking, and weather stripping. Program adequate "We already have a program in place where we pay 80 percent of the cost to completely weatherize a residence," said Meredith Owens, Alameda energy management coordinator. "The owner pays 20 percent. We have done 850 buildings under that program." Azusa, Banning, Colton, and Riverside filed findings with the state at the end of 1994, as required. Azusa, Banning, and Colton hope to join together to develop a program, as they did with the feasibility study. Riverside decided the most cost-effective delivery system was to incorporate low-income customers into the existing WE CARE (Wise Energy Use Campaign to Aid the Retired and Elderly) and HHEARTS (Handicapped Home Energy Audits Raise Their Savings) programs. These programs provide energy audits on-site, water heater blankets, low-flow showerheads, weatherstripping, and water-saver bags in toilets and are free for seniors 55 and over and utility customers with disabilities. The programs will simply be widened to include low-income residents with electrically heated homes. (For more information, call Meredith Owens at Alameda, (510) 748-3947, Mary Jane Parks at Azusa, (818) 812-5211, Tim Trewyn at Banning, (909) 922-1241, and Robert Buell at Colton (909) 370- 6149.) Scouts' ranch saves energy While teaching Boy Scouts the value of conservation, the Philmont Scout Ranch in northern New Mexico's Cimarron Valley took measures to curb its own energy appetite. The most significant energy reduction resulted from replacing fluorescent lighting with energy-efficient lamps and ballasts in the administration and training center buildings, according to Philmont Controller Craig Owensby. This saves about 146,268 kilowatthours (kWh) of electricity per year while providing the same level of illumination. Energy-efficient T-8 and T-10 lamps and ballasts replaced 2,347 fluorescent lamps in offices, dining halls, trading posts, and showers. High-pressure sodium lamps were installed outdoors near buildings. The new 70-watt lamps have the 100-watt illumination equivalent of the old incandescent lamps. Western States Industries of Denver planned and installed the new lighting and donated almost $2,000 worth of fixtures and labor toward the project, noted Owensby. The improvements followed an energy audit completed in 1990 by representatives of Springer Electric through a competitive bid process. The audit recommended several other energy efficiency measures:
Philmont replaced the refrigeration units in its 36 walk-in freezers. "The units were 52 years old and not only costly to operate but they frequently broke down," said Owensby. Philmont also insulated attic areas of building roofs, installed low-flow showerheads, and lowered water heater temperatures. Conserving energy at the ranch is a learning process for everyone, said Owensby. Staff members periodically are reminded to conserve hot water, turn off unused lights, and reduce use of refrigeration. The ranch also saves energy with reusable trays, dishes, and silverware, eliminating a large quantity of paper waste. "Our motto is, `Conservation is everyone's job at Philmont,' " said Owensby. Philmont was established in 1939 when a Texas oilman donated 128,000 acres of land. The ranch received an additional 10,000 acres in 1941. Philmont serves more than 18,000 scouts from all over the nation. Another 4,000 to 5,000 scouts attend specialized training camps at the ranch throughout the year. (For more information, call Craig Owensby at (505) 376-2281.) Hydropower put to work in Utah Bountiful (UT) City Light and Power proved the value of using existing dams to produce low-cost hydropower, despite a difficult and lengthy licensing process. The utility pioneered development of low-cost hydropower in the early 1980s through use of existing Bureau of Reclamation dams. It currently operates two sites, initially seeking licenses to develop six. Project began in 1987 About 27 miles (43 kilometers) east of the city, Echo Dam began producing in 1987. The utility sold more than 10 million kilowatthours (kWh) to its customers the first year. The Pine View site, 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Bountiful, was completed in 1990 with initial production of 802,400 kWh. "Pine View production concerned us somewhat," said Allen Johnson, power system generation superintendent. He explained, however, that 1990 was a dry year and the Bureau did a lot of work on the headwall of the dam. Production increased to 3,458,451 kWh in 1991-92 and to 6,243,117 kWh in 1994- 95. Pine View uses a single 1,800-kW turbine. An onsite dam tender visually inspects the hydro plant and monitors river and hydro flows. Used water from the turbine goes directly into a pipeline that runs 5 miles (8 kilometers) down a canyon for use by a Utah Power hydro plant. "We never see the water," said Johnson. The Echo Dam plant has three turbines, two 1,750 kW-rated units and one 1,000 kW unit. Gate changes controlling water flow are remotely operated from Bountiful. After the water passes through the turbines, it is channeled back into the Weber River. Johnson explained that a dam tender lives onsite to monitor river flows and communicate hydro flows to Bountiful's operator, as well. Licensing lengthy process Licensing through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to construct plant facilities at a dam can take up to four years. It involves several lengthy steps:
Bountiful continues to study the feasibility of the proposed 2 megawatt East Canyon Dam hydro project. "This site is enticing to the city because of its proximity to the transmission line which passes by East Canyon to the Echo Dam project," said Johnson. A license has been awarded but earthquake studies must be completed before construction resumes. The utility also is interested in the Joes Valley project 130 miles (209 kilometers) south near the Utah border, and has filed a "letter of interest" with the Bureau. Johnson said the advantages of these smaller generation projects include use of existing water storage areas and no resulting air pollution. (For more information, call Allen Johnson at (801) 298 6072.) Peer match helps Banning find demand-side solutions A utility's location, weather patterns, and resources impact its load challenges and ability to meet customer demand. The city of Banning, CA, felt these influences as it experienced load growth and sought ways to cope with summer peak demand and rising power costs. Banning, population 25,000, is near Palm Springs, CA, at an elevation of 2,300 feet (701 meters). Summer temperatures average 100 degrees F (37 degrees C). Air conditioning loads strain peak-power capabilities. Several years ago, city officials began looking for solutions to demand-side problems and turned to Western Area Power Administration's energy services program for help. Navopache shares experience Representatives of Western's Desert Southwest Regional Office consulted with Banning and arranged a peer match with Navopache Electric Cooperative in Arizona. Navopache had experienced similar demand-side management challenges and developed innovative solutions, which impressed Banning officials. Following a tour of Navopache's facilities near Lakeside, AZ, Banning began the budgeting process to acquire a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for central load monitoring and control. A request for proposal was recently issued to provide the system, which will control air conditioning loads either through radio or Power Line carrier signals, according to Tim Trewyn, Banning electric operations engineer. Banning program voluntary Banning plans to use the SCADA system in a voluntary customer participation program. Monitored loads will be cycled off during summer peak hours in 1/2- and one-hour increments, depending on customer tolerance. Time-of-use metering and rates will be used. The city's summer load peaks at 32 mega-watts (MW) at about 4 p.m. The base load is 9 MW. City officials also were impressed with Navopache's success in reduction of system voltage from 123 volts to 119 volts. These measures reduce demand on the Arizona utility by 3.25 percent and cut demand charges about $25,000 per month. Trewyn sees similar voltage reduction for Banning as part of the total DSM program. Meanwhile, while waiting for the planning and budgetary wheels to turn, Banning found some relief through expanded use of local hydrogeneration resources. Three nearby hydro plants now operate continually during the summer months. Located north of the city at Banning Water Canyon Reservoir, the plants are fed by aquifers and snowfall runoff. The lower turbine generates 225 kW, the middle turbine 265 kW, and the upper turbine 385 kW. Meter options considered Various types of meters that allow prepaid metering and other billing programs also are being explored. Banning observed that Navopache's system of reading meters with hand-held computers and downloading to a billing data base permits greater precision. These practices are useful in showing customers the benefits of conservation programs. Banning feels fortunate in knowing that other municipal utilities have gone before it to find solutions to demanding load challenges. Through shared knowledge and greater use of local resources, Banning also is meeting those challenges. (For more information, call Tim Trewyn at (909) 922-3105.) Renewable energy interests lead to projects in Wyoming A photovoltaic (PV) water treatment and distribution system will soon give residents of several Wyoming farms and small towns clean drinking water. Meanwhile, two wind generators will supply a Wyoming cow-calf operation with all the water it needs. These projects blossomed after a combined solar- and wind-power renewable energy workshop sponsored by the Riverton Valley (WY) Rural Electric Cooperative and Western. The workshop helped participants find answers to problems through renewable energy technologies. Both projects will be located in the Big Horn Rural Electric Cooperative (WY) service area. To show that photovoltaic energy works, Riverton Valley had six demonstration photovoltaic arrays operating and providing data. It also had speakers and information on wind energy units available. "We have some problems serving low-demand stock watering wells where (power) lines have failed recently," said Riverton's Alan Auty. "We believe that if these lines go down again, we should serve them with individual PV systems." Such a plan would make financial sense, he said. "At $10,000 or more a mile (to extend a line), even a couple of miles costs more," Auty said. That compares to about $3,000 to $4,000 total for a PV system. Auty noted that PV systems don't need as much maintenance. "You can see how a move like that would often be smart," he said. "We even sent (a utility representative) down to another workshop in Denver in early February to learn more about PV use by utilities." The two projects in the planning stages in the Big Horn Rural Electric Cooperative service area are pretty unusual. "Greg Jarvis's Flying M Ranch system is more the straightforward stock watering system," said Dan Roberts of Big Horn REC. "What makes it unique are the distances involved and his interest in going with wind generation and battery storage instead of the PV systems many use today." The flying M has two wells on its summer range near Shoshoni, but they are nearly 50 miles apart. That means they need separate systems. A third well on the Flying M was provided by an oil and gas drilling operation on the Winter Range near Casper. The company needed a water supply and gained permission to drill a well by agreeing to turn it over to the Flying M after the operation ended. "It was a real good deal for us," said Jarvis. "Our other two wells yield about two to three gallons a minute; this one flows at nearly 150 gallons a minute." "Obviously we don't have to work too hard on pumping from it," he continued. "We fill an 8,000-gallon tank and then gravity-feed a smaller stock tank with a bobber switch to keep it from overflowing. We're still in the planning stages, though, because cattle prices are so low right now, the system wouldn't be cost-efficient." Photovoltaic energy is the way to go for the larger project serving rural areas and parts of three towns with treated water from artesian wells. "It is really an interesting and intricate system," said Roberts. "It is to eventually use photovoltaic arrays as the primary energy source, with emergency backup generators powered by a petroleum-based fuel." (See related story below.) (For more information, call Roberts at Big Horn REC, (307) 568-2419; Auty at Riverton Valley REC, (307) 856-9426; or Jarvis at (307) 856-2939.) Sun's rays to treat water from wells for rural homes Solar photovoltaic-produced energy powers a water treatment center planned to provide semirural homes safe, treated water from remote artesian wells. Harnessing the sun's rays to treat the water brings an important city convenience to small communities, rural acreages, ranchettes, and farms in the Big Horn Basin (WY) Rural Electric Cooperative service territory. Two free-flowing 200-gallon-per-minute wells on Bureau of Land Management land will furnish the raw water. A planned treatment facility midway between the wells makes it a safe, potable, marketable resource. The Basin Area Water Supply Project is seen to meet the domestic needs of area residents. Solar PV power has been servicing area ranchers' herds and other animals for several years. Usually the solar units have replaced pumps powered by fuels or by wind, and have pumped untreated water. This project is different. It is aimed at human consumption and use as domestic water for cooking, drinking, and other potable water needs. The project will collect water at the well heads and pipe it to a collection point. There, using the photovoltaic energy from the sun, a solar array will generate power for use in a facility to complete water treatment, including chlorinization. The project will deliver the water to any contracted tap in its service area. The designed system will serve Manderson, WY, and rural areas with an estimated population of about 600 and Basin with about 1,200. Also eligible for water are small farms and an area of acre-plus homesites. It will make treated water as easily available to these residences as municipal services do to city customers, according to Roy S. Darrow, consulting engineer for Graham-Dietz & Associates, consulting engineers. (For more information, call Darrow at (307) 587-3411.) St. James overcomes obstacle, installs new load control system The St. James (MN) Municipal Utility cleared a large regulatory hurdle en route to increased energy efficiency. The city expects to have a new load control system online soon. But the improvement comes only after lengthy negotiations with state regulators. Several years ago, the utility realized that it needed to halt or lower peak demand. That led to a decision to install a load control system for central air conditioning units and hot water heaters. The south-central Minnesota community of 4,400 selected the necessary hardware, software, and carrier- current control equipment. Then came the delays. Regulations alter plans Utility Superintendent Jeff Bechtold explained that the city had planned to use utility workers to install the system, but state regulations made that difficult. The regulations didn't specifically say that utility workers couldn't install the switches that would control the air conditioners and water heaters. But they did require all such installations to be done by state-approved licensed electricians. They also set the cost for such work at $35 per switch. "When you consider that we planned to install 300 switches, that comes to $10,500," Bechtold said. "To say that was beyond our original estimated costs would be an understatement." Plan for future He said the original project was only marginally economical, but the utility decided the effort was worthwhile as a hedge for the future. It couldn't justify the added expense of licensed electricians, however. "That put the brakes on the project right away," Bechtold said. The utility believed that its workers, who regularly maintain the system, had the skills needed to install the switches. "We decided to go ahead and do what we could, and hope negotiations made switch installation feasible." They hooked up other parts of the system and waited. In late January, negotiations cleared the way for the project. The state allowed the utility to use four area electricians to install the switches and pay $28 per hour for a state inspector to look at the completed work. That lowered installation costs to about $30 per switch, saving $1,500-$2,000 for the project. "That just means the payback will be a little longer than we had hoped," Bechtold said. "At least we can get all 300 done, get the system on line, and be able to gang (group together) the inspections. That should save us some, especially in the future with new construction and commercial work." (For more information, call Bechtold at (507) 375-1226.) Estes Park ETS program earns award In a mountain area where many homes are all electric, peak demands present a load challenge and mean extra power costs for the utility. Estes Park, CO, not only met this challenge, but received a prestigious energy award for its approach and solution to the problem. To meet load demands during the winter, the town's utility implemented a program of residential electric thermal storage (ETS) heating. Based on results, the Department of Energy, in October 1995, presented Estes Park with its prestigious National Energy Award. No gas supply Assistant Light and Power Director Mike Mangelsen said that lack of a natural gas supply in some areas requires homeowners to use electric resistance, wood, or propane heating methods. At 7,500 feet (2,286 meters) at the east entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park's winter average temperatures are 40-45 degrees F (4-7 degrees C) with wind chill factors to minus 50 degrees F (minus 10 degrees C). Mangelsen explained that the thermal storage alternative developed out of his participation a couple of years ago in an energy task team sponsored by Platte River Power Authority. Platte River provides power to Estes Park and is a Western customer. "We looked at conventional methods such as low-flow shower heads and compact lighting programs, but didn't see enough potential for demand reduction," Mangelsen stated. The solution seemed to be to sell customers on ETS heating units, he noted. Peer match helps utility Platte River also hired an energy management consultant, and the town participated in a peer match arranged by Western with Carbon Power and Light in Saratoga, WY. Carbon Power's ETS program had proved successful in curbing huge peak-demand appetites. Estes Park became convinced of the effectiveness of ETS after purchasing and installing a 6-kilowatt ETS unit in the municipal office building. "We were amazed at the results," said Mangelsen. The system works by storing heat in bricks within the unit during operation in off-peak periods for use during peak periods. The units are off at the load times most advantageous for the utility. Onsite timing systems program operation of ETS wall units to coincide with off-peak periods (weekdays 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. and weekends and holidays). The utility experiences its greatest peak demand daily between 5 and 8 p.m. Director of Light and Power Richard Matzke worked closely with Mangelsen to develop the program. Matzke was instrumental in achieving a 2.5 cents-per-kWh time-of-use rate that saves customers an average of $75 per month. Some customer savings are more, depending on the size of installation, said Mangelsen. The average payback period is 36 months. In addition, Estes Park rebates participating customers $15 for each installed kW of ETS. Average rebates run about $135. Many of the city's older homes were built during the early 1900s and are poorly insulated. The newer homes are much more energy efficient, according to Mangelsen. " To be effective, our rule of thumb is to install 10 watts of ETS per square foot and try to get at least one 9 kW unit in the home," he stated. The utility didn't advertise the program. Instead, it introduced ETS through energy audits and blower- door testing of customer homes. During the process, Mangelsen explained the advantages and cost benefits of ETS. By the end of 1995, nearly 70 customers were participating, enough to positively impact the town's peak loads. Customers report not sacrificing comfort; in fact, they find ETS more comfortable than electric resistance, wood stoves, or propane heating methods. "One of our customers commented about not having to microwave the butter before spreading it on the toast in the morning," added Mangelsen. The units, manufactured by the Steffes Company in Dickinson, ND, cost about $1,400 for a 9-kW model. Customers can finance the units and installation costs through a lease-purchase program with the town, borrowing up to $5,000. Local electricians are contracted to install the units. The ETS program is working, according to Mangelsen. "In the past two years, we've added about 500 customers with no increase in load demand," he said. Estes Park proved the value of ETS by lowering the utility's peak demands. Participating customers are rewarded with smaller utility bills and more efficient heating systems. (For more information, call Mangelsen at (970) 586 5331.) New boilers, load management reduce energy costs at Redfield When you can't do it all, you do what you can ." This philosophy describes the load management program at the Redfield Development Center in Redfield, SD. The center provides long-term care for mentally handicapped residents of the state. It has a complete electronic load management system, but because of budget cuts, it is not fully used, according to LaVerne LaVake, physical plant manager. The Redfield center is in eastern South Dakota about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Aberdeen. Built in 1902, the 130-acre campus includes 28 brick buildings. An onsite substation steps down power from the facility's supplier. Budget constrains program "We only use a portion of our load management capability," said LaVake. "It's an old electrical system, and the annual budget doesn't permit modification of all of the equipment that could be controlled." He tries to add one or two new control points each year. Heating units in the dormitories are controlled, as are water tower pumps, the irrigation system for the lawns, and summer air conditioning loads. Thermostats in the dormitory rooms are set back about 5 degrees F (-15 C) during the night. The rooms are back to a comfortable temperature before residents wake in the morning. To conserve energy and control costs, Redfield tries to keep its peak loads under 1,200 kilowatts (kW), LaVake said. Peak power periods occur daily during July and August at about 2 p.m., when air conditioning loads are at their maximum. Otherwise, peak loads average between 600 and 700 kW annually. New boilers installed While budget constraints dampen Redfield's load management efforts, the facility has achieved savings in recent years by replacing two antiquated steam boilers. The old inefficient masonry boilers required 2-3 days to bring online. The new steel firetube boilers have a more efficient fuel combustion and heating distribution system and a higher capacity water reservoir. Water for the boilers is pumped from the Oahe Reservoir about 120 miles (192 kilometers) west of Redfield. The new boilers have already saved the center between $35,000 and $40,000, noted LaVake. The facility heats with steam from the boilers, which are fueled either by natural gas or fuel oil. The steam is distributed to the various buildings through tunnel-enclosed steam pipes. High-pressure steam goes to the laundry, kitchen, and swimming pool areas. Low-pressure steam is used to heat the rest of the complex. "The old boilers cost us between $600 and $700 per boiler to bring online," said LaVake. The fuel cost of bringing one of the new boilers online-getting the boiler hot enough to produce steam-is about $60 per startup. Considering the cost difference for fuel every time we start up a boiler, that is a lot of savings over a 50-year life of a boiler," he said. (For more information, call LaVake at (605) 472-2400.) Library adds energy efficiency Standard energy efficiency measures incorporated in a $4.5 million addition to the library at Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD, are projected to save about 25 percent in facility energy costs. "Additional, more modern facilities were badly needed," said Northern State University Facilities Manager Wayne Fischer. Construction of the addition began in mid-1995 with completion expected in November 1996 The existing building's 500 fluorescent-lamp fixtures, which are rated at 40 watts, and 300 fixtures in the new addition are being fitted with direct-lighting/electronic-ballast T-8 lamps, rated at 32 watts. Some of the four-bulb fixtures are being converted to energy-efficient 3-lamp configurations. In addition to energy-efficient lighting, the 38,000-square-foot (3,530-square-meter) addition will enclose the existing structure on two and half sides. This will provide a thermal insulating effect. The exterior wall system is masonry and brick. The roofing materials are energy-efficient rated, and the ceiling insulation is rated at R-30. Placement of windows around the new outer structure is designed to provide interior daylighting. In addition, some of the book stack areas in the existing inner structure will be converted to study areas. These areas also will capture daylight through skylights. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems utilize state-of-the-art energy-efficient motors and equipment. The existing chiller was updated with a newer, higher performance chiller. Northern State's original 29,000-square-foot (2,694 square meter) Beulah Williams Library was built in 1958. About 30 miles (48-kilometers) from the North Dakota border, the University has an enrollment of about 2,700 students. For more information, call Fischer at (605) 626-2560.)
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