For higher education institutions located in cold climates (Zones 5A or higher), where heating is essential, stakeholders face a yearly conundrum as the temperature plummets. Heat is a social and economic issue on campus. It’s needed to safeguard students, staff and university hospitals and research.
And yet, it’s an environmental hot button with students, administration, and facilities managers, as most older campus buildings still rely on fossil fuel-derived energy such as heating oil to keep buildings warm. It’s costly, and it brings institutions further from their decarbonization goals.
Many institutions seek short- and long-term ways to reduce reliance on fossil-derived resources for several reasons. Let’s look at four key reasons that cold-weather campuses are working to move away from fossil fuel-derived heating sources:
- Cost constraints. Petroleum-based heating oil is costly and contributes significantly to a university’s overall operational budget. Many campuses are transitioning to natural gas, which is less expensive and cleaner. However, making the switch requires an overhaul of heating infrastructure, an added expense. Further, universities will still require a backup heating method due to curtailment, which we’ll get into later.
- Sustainability commitments. A recent study by Princeton University found that 61% of prospective students consider a university’s commitment to sustainability as a factor in their decision to apply or attend that school. At least one university shared that sustainability ranked second-highest on alumni interest surveys (even higher than the athletics program), with alums graduating after 2000 ranking it first.
- Fuel availability instability. As mentioned earlier, many cold-weather campuses are switching from oil to natural gas because it’s cleaner and more cost-effective. However, institutions must contend with curtailment. Natural gas curtailment happens when the amount of natural gas delivered to the largest customers is reduced due to a supply shortage or excess demand. Customers with interruptible service are the first to be affected when curtailment occurs. These customers, usually commercial buildings, must stop using natural gas and switch to an alternate energy source with at least two hours’ notice. Customers who agree to interruptible service must comply with curtailment orders or pay noncompliance feess.
- Regulatory changes. Greater Boston has more than 85 colleges and universities, and New York City has more than 120. In both cities, strict new legislation is coming into effect that will ban certain types of home heating oil. They join 11 other U.S. cities that have implemented tougher building performance standards laws. In Greater Boston, the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) amounts to a carbon tax on buildings. Owners of buildings of a certain size must report their buildings’ annual energy use, verify reported data with a qualified third-party energy professional, and comply with annual emissions limits. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $1,000 per day, depending on the size of the building. In New York City, an ordinance known as Local Law 97 will do the same. In addition, New York City has banned the use of a heavier heating oil called No. 4 oil in 2027. Approximately 3,000 buildings in the city currently rely on No. 4 oil.
Many campus stakeholders don’t realize that reaching carbon-neutral isn’t a straight line. There are many steps along the way to that end goal. It’s not as simple as flipping a switch. Transforming the many systems and buildings on campus can take years, even decades. It’s more of a marathon than a sprint.
Sustainable heat in action
Bates College, a small, private college in Lewiston, Maine, set an ambitious goal to become carbon neutral by 2020. The higher ed institution, established in 1855, is in a residential area and features several older, historic buildings on its campus. Bates heats 80% of its campus with a central steam plant comprised of three dual-fuel boilers powered by natural gas and heating oil. The remainder of the campus buildings that are not connected to the central plant have individual boilers that relied on heating oil. Bates wanted to eliminate dependency on fossil fuels and move to carbon-neutral heating sources.
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After developing a detailed climate plan, the stakeholders at Bates first explored transitioning from heating oil to woodchips because this is a common alternative heating source in Maine. However, with the urban area and limited free land, the college lacked sufficient space for a woodchip storage facility and daily truck deliveries.
After a few false starts, including a trial run with wood-based biofuel, Bates chose an alternative biofuel made from recycled and purified cooking oil. This was an ideal choice because it was turnkey. With a few modifications to Bates’ existing boiler system, this biofuel could easily replace diesel heating oil. Unlike the wood-based biofuel it used previously, it’s not acidic, so the college could store it in the old cast-iron storage tanks that formerly housed the heating oil. Using this alternative biofuel, Bates reached its goal of carbon neutrality and is now working on a new goal of becoming climate-positive by 2030.
Colleges and universities have always been at the forefront of progress. They can also lead the way in sustainable heating. Alternative heating technologies allow colleges to showcase their commitment to the environment and innovation to solve complex challenges. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s good business for higher education.
