How Penn State Is Cutting Greenhouse Emissions In Half -- And Saving Money
How Penn State Is Cutting Greenhouse Emissions In Half — And Saving Money
DAN CHARLES, NPR
https://www.npr.org/2019/10/04/764637564/how-penn-state-is-cutting-greenhouse-emissions-in-half-and-saving-money?utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr
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Some of these projects are surprisingly low-tech, like tuning up heating and air conditioning systems, measuring air flow and temperature, making sure enough air is flowing to keep people comfortable but not so much that extra steam is needed to keep everyone warm. "You don't open the door of your house on a zero-degree day, right? We don't want to do that, either," says John Deffenbaugh, the engineer in charge of the program that gives Penn State's buildings regular checkups.
"You'd be surprised what you find when you tune up a building's HVAC system," says Cooper, the head of of engineering and energy. "It's one of the shortest paybacks. It's consistently three to five years [to recoup the costs] on every building that we go into."
Penn State also switched the fuel in its central heating plant from coal to natural gas, which releases less carbon dioxide when burned. Engineers installed energy-saving motors and windows whenever they could justify spending the extra money.
This year, with the cost of solar power falling sharply, Penn State signed a deal to buy electricity from a new 500-acre solar farm in Pennsylvania's Franklin County.
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