SIP Construction
This is the final construction update for the Sustainable Infrastructure Program. Additional information is available through the Office of Energy and Sustainability.
Oberlin College and Conservatory has announced that they have reached the milestone of carbon neutrality! This achievement was made possible by many people, including all of you that supported the Sustainable Infrastructure Program. Over the last four years, we have done great work together including:
- Replaced the aging steam heating system, including components that were over 100 years old, with a more efficient, low-temperature hot water, geothermal heat pump system for building heating, cooling, and domestic hot water
- Converted 57 campus building HVAC and mechanical systems for the new system, while coordinating the complex details for the Conservatory, Science Center, and Allen Memorial Art Museum complexes
- Added air conditioning to 11 buildings, nearly doubling the count to 24 (approximately 980 student beds)
- Installed 850 geothermal wells, each one reaching 600 feet deep
- Installed 13 miles of distribution pipe and over 1 million feet of geothermal tubing
- Installed a highly-efficient heat recovery chiller and a water-source heat pump in the Central Services Building and 2 air-source heat pumps on the grounds near the plant
- Upgraded to precision controls and monitoring systems for improved efficiency, management, and trend analysis
- Saved water and energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Engaged students, faculty, staff, and the community through education and outreach activities including internships, class presentations, and student-led projects
As we wrap up the SIP work, we will continue to work through commissioning for Oberlin’s geothermal heat pump system, which will be ongoing through the cooling season and into the next heating season. Since December, the campus has been using heat from the geothermal wells to warm buildings and heat domestic hot water. As the weather has warmed up, grass has started to grow over the geothermal well field, and we have transitioned to cooling season. Additional final work includes fine-tuning the system monitoring and controls and recent start up of 2 new air source heat pumps. The team will also be gathering data to verify system efficiency gains, water savings, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
With the new energy system in place, the Office of Energy and Sustainability will continue efforts to reduce carbon emissions by engaging the campus community and sharing actions that can help the energy system run efficiently while conserving energy throughout campus buildings. As operator of the campus energy systems, Ever-Green will continue to collaborate with Oberlin leadership and staff to optimize the efficiency, sustainability, and reliability of Oberlin’s investments.
This will be the last message you will receive from me about SIP activities. Your email address will be passed over to the Office of Energy and Sustainability so that you can continue to get news about SIP celebrations and sustainability efforts. Thank you for your interest and support in SIP work.
Read more about carbon neutrality on Oberlin’s website.