Schneider Electric improvements
Wartburg College hired Schneider Electric, an Illinois-based consulting firm, to implement a $2 million energy efficiency project through utility improvements starting November 2010 through March 2011. The project started from an audit performed in spring 2010 by Schneider Electric. One-third of the estimated cost of the project was funded by a grant from the state Office of Energy Independence through a U.S. Department of Energy program. Overall, the project is projected to save $270,000 annually in utility costs.

Water improvements

1. Low flow aerators, as well as low-flow toilet bowls and urinals have been fully installed across campus.
2. These upgrades are expected to save around 6,500 gallons of water annually.

Gas efficiency

1. New motorized isolation valves have been added to the Science Center. The boiler’s new motorized isolation valves reduce the required pump horsepower, the amount of hot water flow (gpm), and thus will reduce the amount of natural gas that the boilers use, by reducing the number of boilers in operation. Before the isolation valves were installed, return hot water was flowing through all six boilers even when only one or two boilers were actually operating, thus “blending” the hot water temperature supplied to the building.
2. A new heat recovery chiller has been installed in the W. Heat recovery chillers preheat water with heat produced by cooling the cold water line. Heat recovery chillers can generate heat more efficiently than a traditional boiler if both cold and hot water are in demand.
3. The boiler in Luther Hall and Neumann Auditorium is in the process of being replaced, scheduled to be insulated and running by the middle of September. The new boiler is expected to have an energy efficiency of 93%, as opposed to the current boiler which has an energy efficiency of about 65%.
4. An estimated170,000 therms or 17,000 MMBTU’s are anticipated to be saved from these improvements.

Electrical efficiency

• Motion sensors for lighting were installed into each building timed to shut off after 10 minutes of inactivity.
• In addition, about 4000 light fixtures have been retrofitted or replaced with more efficient fluorescent lighting
• New energy management systems are being installed to insure heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are operated efficiently, yet provide comfort conditions in areas when occupied. During unoccupied hours, the systems will monitor their assigned areas to determine how to efficiently run heating, air conditioning, and ventilation. The systems in Vogel library, Wartburg Chapel, the FAC and parts of the Science Center should be finished in September, while systems in the Science Center labs, Luther Hall, CTC, Neumann Auditorium, and the W will be finished later in the fall.
• These improvements are estimated to save 1,600,000 kWh of electricity and 1,900 kW of power.