Besides new construction for its Nursing + Student Wellness Center and significant foundation work at Beach Hall, Emporia State University is in the early stages of a campuswide improvement project.
Director of Facility Planning Peter Hauff says work has started on a chilled water loop for all campus buildings. At this time, ESU has bulding-specific chillers in at least 15 different structures. The chillers are nearing the end of their useful lives, and they also use R22 refrigerant, which is now rarely in use because it’s considered a greenhouse gas. The goal now is to consolidate the entire chilled water supply at the campus powerhouse and distribute the water from there.
Hauff says the north chilled water loop will start with Nursing + Student Wellness, with initial work from the university powerhouse to the north side of Abigail Morse Hall. More recent work has involved trenching on the east side of Wooster Lake as well as between the powerhouse and Silent Joe.
People needing access to campus through January may have to use 12th, Market and Merchant for the south end of campus and 18th and Highland for the north side.
Besides limiting campus dependence on R22 refrigerant, considered a greenhouse gas, ESU says there will be redundancy with each “serviced facility,” less deferred maintenance, improved efficiency and a smaller carbon footprint. Other benefits for this project include upgrading all non-LED lighting across campus to LEDS, as well as upgrading controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning needs.
All told, this Energy Services Company project is a better than $13 million campus investment over 20 years. The university expects a total $10 million reduction in deferred maintenance, a guaranteed utility savings of at least $10 million and Evergy rebates already at $115,000.
Photos by Chuck Samples/KVOE News
Maps courtesy Emporia State University
