UA Invests Energy Savings In Projects

Two construction projects at the University of Arkansas will be funded out of energy savings expected from them. The university will see a $14 million upgrade of its steam plant, where three old boilers will be replaced with six smaller, gas-fired ones. Workers also will install a 1,000 ton heat pump and chiller and a new hot water loop in two sections of campus, which will serve 13 buildings previously heated by steam. About $4 million will go toward replacing fume hoods at the university's Center of Excellence for Poultry Science. The new hoods will recover some exhaust for reuse and replace fluorescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. LED lights and sensors also are being installed. Officials say the steam plant project has a payback of 15 years and the poultry science center project has a payback of 11 years.