Ohio University Energy FAQ
Where does Ohio U get its electricity?
What resources are used to generate Ohio U’s electricity?
Where are the power plants that generate our electricity?
How much does electricity cost?
Why is Ohio U’s electricity so cheap?
How much electricity does Ohio U purchase each year?
How much money does Ohio U spend on power each year?
How is the campus heated and air conditioned?
How much coal does the Heating Plant use and where does it come from?
Does the Lausche Heating Plant control for pollutants in its emissions?
How is the temperature in campus buildings controlled?
Why is Ohio University so dependent on coal?
Does Ohio University purchase mountaintop mined coal?
Where are our alternative energy systems on campus?
What are some examples of how energy is used on Ohio U’s campus?
What parts of Ohio U’s operations consume the most energy?
Is Ohio U engaged in any ongoing energy projects?
Does Ohio U have any plans to reduce or change the sources of its energy use in the next few years?
How much energy do the lights at Peden Stadium use?
What’s the difference between our total energy consumption and the energy intensity of our campus?
How can I save energy in my dorm, office, or home?
Should I turn off my lights when I leave the room for only a few minutes?
Does turning my computer on and off use more energy than leaving it on?
Is it worth unplugging appliances or is turning them off just as good?
Where does Ohio U get its electricity?
 Almost all of Ohio University’s electricity is purchased from
American Electric Power Ohio. Two substations receive electricity in high voltage 69kV form, and step-down transformers decrease this voltage for distribution to campus buildings. The transmission of high voltage electricity from power plants to campus substations allows for fewer energy losses over the distance it travels. A few campus buildings, however, receive electricity directly from the grid, including the OHIO Ecohouse on Dairy Lane.
Ohio U also has solar arrays at five locations throughout campus and these arrays generate a small amount of electricity (see descriptions below).
 The Lausche Heating Plant has a cogeneration unit capable of generating 1 MW of electricity, though it is not currently in use. In 2004, an efficiency-improving electric centrifugal chiller was installed and reduced summertime steam demand below the threshold necessary to operate the cogeneration unit.
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What resources are used to generate Ohio U’s electricity?
AEP Ohio’s 2007 electricity generation fuel mix was dominated by coal (77%) but also included nuclear power (16%), natural gas (4%), oil (1%), hydro (1%), and other (1%).
AEP Ohio’s coal-fired power plants burn high sulfur coal, which is abundant in Ohio and West Virginia, but produces more sulfur dioxide (SO2) than low sulfur coal. Therefore, power plants must invest in flue gas desulfurization scrubbing systems to comply with EPA regulations.
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Where are the power plants that generate our electricity?
 AEP, including AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, and several other smaller units, operates 25 coal-fired power plants nationwide and six in the Ohio River Valley, including General James M. Gavin Power Plant - the largest coal-fired plant in Ohio (pictured at left)- which is only 30 miles from Ohio University in Cheshire, Ohio.
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How much does electricity cost?
On average, Ohio U currently pays $0.04743 per kWh for electric from AEP Ohio. This charge is made up of a number of different components.
Each month, Ohio U is charged a $750 flat-rate distribution charge. This covers the cost of equipment and maintenance used to send electricity to Ohio U. Ohio U also pays for the actual electricity it consumes at a rate of $0.0248 per kWh. A kilowatt hour is the energy it would take to power ten 100-watt light bulbs for one hour.
Ohio U also pays demand charges that are billed separately from consumption charges, unlike in a household. Homes usually require the same amount of electricity from day to day and hour to hour. But large institutions like Ohio U require much more electricity at certain times of day. Since electricity cannot easily be stored, AEP has to be able to deliver enough electricity to meet the immediate demands of Ohio U and other large facilities. So AEP builds facilities that are capable of meeting the peak demand of these large consumers.
It wouldn’t be fair to ask households to pay for the extra costs of facilities designed to handle peak demand since households never use enough electricity to require the full generating capacity of the power station. So Ohio U pays an extra demand charge of $10.180 per KVA for the first 3,000 KVA it uses each month and a demand charge of $4.701 for each additional KVA purchased that same month.
All these charges together bring us to an average price of $0.04743 for each kWh of electric that Ohio U uses.
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Why is Ohio U’s electricity so cheap?
 Ohio U’s geographic location in Southeast Ohio puts it close to the source of our electricity. Coal fields and power plants are densely concentrated in our corner of the state as compared to the rest of Ohio, and in Appalachia as compared to the rest of the United States.
AEP, for example, operates 25 coal-fired power plants nationwide and six of these are in the Ohio River Valley. General James M. Gavin Power Plant, the largest coal-fired power plant in Ohio and the place our electricity is generated, is only thirty miles outside of Athens. These circumstances make the production and transport of energy from coal relatively less expensive than energy generated from other sources and less expensive for Ohio U than consumers farther away.
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How much electricity does Ohio U purchase each year?
This is how much electricity Ohio U has purchased in the last five fiscal years:
2008: 126,775,354 kWh
2007: 126,552,339 kWh
2006: 123,840,002 kWh
2005: 119,571,639 kWh
2004: 117,922,893 kWh
As you can see, in 2008 Ohio University purchased 126,775,354 kWh of electricity, which created about 124,000 MT eCO2. This is approximately the same amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated by 13,000 homes in one year.
The consistent increase in Ohio U’s electricity use is a result of several factors. Total building space, campus population, and lifestyle factors like preferred indoor temperature and time spent on computers have combined to create higher demand for electricity.
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How much money does Ohio U spend on power each year?
The total energy budget for Ohio U for the past three fiscal years has been:
2007: $9,894,735
2006: $8,553,481
2005: $7,878,412
This budget includes the costs of electricity, coal, and natural gas. It does not include water or transportation.
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How is the campus heated and air conditioned?
Ohio University’s Lausche Heating Plant supplies steam to campus buildings. This steam can be used for cooking, heating, absorption cooling, and producing domestic hot water.
Lausche has three coal-fired boilers and one natural gas boiler that use coal and natural gas to produce steam:
 
Coal-fired boiler in Lausche Heating Plant Coal & natural gas boiler in Nelson Dining Hall
The fuel mix fluctuates every year, but coal is always predominant because it is significantly- about four times- less expensive than natural gas, although burning coal produces more greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). The steam is distributed to buildings through a network of underground utility tunnels nearly five miles in length.
Ohio U also has four chilled water plants that cool water and a lengthy network of pipes that deliver this water to air conditioning systems across campus.
 
2500 ton centrifugal electric chiller unit
Insulated chilled water supply and return piping
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How much coal does the Heating Plant use and where does it come from?
 In fiscal year 2007 the Lausche Heating Plant received a total of 31,164 tons of coal from 1,125 shipments of 28 tons coal each. In 2008 the plant input 793,262 MMBtu of coal and 91,501 MMBtu of natural gas resulting in the emission of 72,423 MT eCO2.
Laushe receives coal from Sands Hill Coal Company located about 30 miles from campus in Hamden, Ohio.
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Does the Lausche Heating Plant control for pollutants in its emissions?
Burning coal at Lausche Heating Plant creates nitrous oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxides contribute to smog, acid rain, and the greenhouse effect while sulfur oxides (mainly sulfur dioxide) can cause acid rain. SOx and CO2 emissions are regulated by the EPA but CO2 emission are not.
The Lausche Heating Plant is in compliance with EPA regulations. Ohio University is located in an attainment area as characterized by Title V of the Clean Air Act, which means pollution regulations are relatively less restrictive. Lausche is not required to have a flue gas desulfurization scrubbing system to abate SOx emissions, but, in order to comply with regulations, flue gases do travel through baghouses that catch fly ash and particulate matter.
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How is the temperature in campus buildings controlled?
We have a total of about 140 buildings on campus. Ninety of these have DDCs (direct digital controls) that allow for varying levels of remote control. Of these, 24 buildings have complete control available remotely. All other buildings must be controlled by manual on-site adjustments. Some buildings can be controlled in sections while temperature adjustments in others will affect all offices, classrooms, labs, and libraries in the building.
Click here for a list of buildings equipped with partial or full remote control of heating and cooling.
Target temperatures are programmed into the heating and cooling of every building, whether manually or digitally. There is no set target temperature for the campus as a whole because temperatures must be set to the conditions of specific buildings and rooms. A large lecture hall may require air conditioning year-round, while a small office in an isolated wing needs heat to stay comfortable throughout spring and fall.
Meeting target temperatures also depends on local conditions like humidity, airflow within a room, and internal heat created by people and electronics. Set temperatures consider all of these factors and try to coordinate heating, cooling, ventilation, and humidification systems for maximum comfort and energy efficiency.
Aside from these considerations, everyone has their own “target temperature” at which they are most comfortable. Individual actions like wearing layers, reducing light, and opening or closing windows or blinds can help adjust the temperature of offices, dorms, and classrooms to satisfy personal preferences. It’s often helpful to find out which room contains the thermostat that controls the conditions of your office or classroom, as conditions in this room will determine temperature settings for all rooms controlled by that thermostat. A dark, vacant room will be set at a higher temperature than a room full of heat sources like people, lighting, and electronics.
Extreme temperatures and discomfort should be reported to Facilities at 740-593-2911. Our ability to control temperature settings without negatively affecting others will ultimately determine whether settings can be adjusted. Patience is particularly appreciated during seasonal changes as heating and cooling systems take time to transition.
All campus buildings are heated or cooled during off-hours, though temperatures are adjusted to save energy. Ohio U is considering establishing cooler target temperatures in the winter and warmer temperatures in the summer to further increase energy savings.
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Why is Ohio University so dependent on coal?
Ohio University’s primary source of energy is coal because it’s much cheaper than any of our other options.
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Does Ohio University purchase mountaintop mined coal?
Ohio U does not directly purchase any coal mined through mountaintop removal. The coal purchased for heating and cooling comes from Sands Hill Coal Company in Hamden, Ohio, which practices strip mining.
Some of the coal used to generate the electricity we purchase from AEP Ohio is mined through mountaintop removal. About 10% of the coal AEP buys each year comes from mountaintop removal mines, according to a 2005 statement by AEP spokesman Pat Hemlepp.
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Where are our alternative energy systems on campus?
Photovoltaic Arrays
There are five solar arrays on campus. The Innovation Center on West State Street has a 4 kilowatt (kW) system and the West Green District Chilled Water Plant has a 2.4 kW system. Chubb Hall has a 330-watt system on the roof that powers the lights, computers, and printers in one of the offices of admissions. The OHIO Ecohouse has a 2.4 kilowatt array that provides about half the energy used in the Ecohouse.
Solar array at the OHIO Ecohouse.
Ohio U’s latest alternative energy installation is a 10.03 kW roof and ground mounted array that will provide about half of the electricity needed to operate our new composting unit.
In Ohio, about 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power are generated each year for each kW of installed array. (For more information, visit http://www.ohio.edu/planetohio/alternative.htm#SolarArrays)
Biomass
The OHIO Ecohouse uses a biomass (corn and wood pellet) furnace.
Solar Thermal
A solar thermal hot water system at the OHIO Ecohouse relies on renewable resources.
Biofuels
All of Ohio University's waste vegetable oil from its dining halls is turned into biodiesel for farm and other off-road vehicles. In addition to supporting the surrounding farm communities, the university saves money that would have been spent on disposal costs.
Prof. Ben Stuart holds a jar of biodiesel fuel.
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What are some examples of how energy is used on Ohio U’s campus?
Energy is used to light offices, power computers, heat and cool buildings, fuel over 560,000 miles of travel by faculty and staff each year, and create the 3.2 million meals consumed on campus annually.
Click here to view a detailed slide presentation by the Ohio U Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee that illustrates OU's complex energy delivery systems. (PDF format, 5.64 MB)
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What parts of Ohio U’s operations consume the most energy?
Lighting consumes about ¾ of the energy used on Ohio U’s campus according to Ron Chapman, Director of Energy Management. The next greatest demand for energy comes from Ohio U’s heating and cooling systems.
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Is Ohio U engaged in any ongoing energy projects?
In the spring of 2007, President McDavis signed the President’s Climate Commitment. As a signatory, Ohio University has promised to conduct a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory and, within the first two years of signing, to develop a specific plan for achieving climate neutrality. Our greenhouse gas emissions inventory is nearly complete and the recently approved Campus Sustainability Plan will lay out the framework for achieving climate neutrality.
In October 2007, Ohio U hosted the Ohio Climate & Energy Workshop. This event highlighted institutional efforts to address climate and energy issues within the context of Ohio State House Bill 251, Governor Strickland’s Executive Order 2007-02S, the Higher Education Energy Challenge, the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, and other relevant policy initiatives.
Each winter, the Office of Sustainability coordinates the Residence Challenge. This is a 10-week competition to reduce energy use among students in our 41 dorms. Students in each dorm try to beat their own baseline and savings are calculated relative to every other dorm. Last year’s overall winner was Fenzel House with savings of 21.8%. Collectively, our forty residence halls saved 271,668 kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity.
Winter quarter will feature a new initiative to encourage energy savings. Our “Get Caught Green Handed!” campaign will reward faculty and staff who are diligent in turning off lights and appliances with a door hanger and the chance to win prizes.
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Does Ohio U have any plans to reduce or change the sources of its energy use in the next few years?
 The Presidents Climate Commitment commits Ohio U to climate neutrality and will require new and alternative forms of energy as well as offsets to achieve this goal. Ohio House Bill 251 requires Ohio U to form a plan to reduce its energy intensity (energy usage per gross square foot) 20% by 2014 compared to 2004. This mandate offers incentive to invest in more efficient energy use.
In the immediate future, AEP will continue to be Ohio U’s primary energy provider as they are our only local electricity provider and the cost of producing electricity ourselves is prohibitively high.
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How much energy do the lights at Peden Stadium use?
Our office has had many inquiries about the energy use of the stadium lights. So here's the scoop as provided by Ron Chapman, Ohio University's Director of Energy Management:
 Peden Stadium field lighting contains 256 total fixtures using 1,500 watt lamps for a total of 384,000 watts or 384 KW (kilowatts). As an industrial user, the electric rate for Ohio University is $0.0248 per kilowatt-hour, about 30% of your household rate! This results in a base cost of $9.52 per hour of lighting if all fixtures are on.
In addition, if the lights were actually lit during the peak demand periods, there would also be a surcharge of $4.701 per KW demand that exceeds already established limits. This is not likely to occur as the 384 KW represents only a small percentage of the maximum draw that Ohio U. uses. To avoid this penalty, the burn times must be carefully monitored so that we stay within established demand limits for which the university already pays.
Even so, the cost to operate these lights must share in the “demand cost” for all electric use across the campus. Adding this “demand cost” to the cost per kWh raises the average cost per KWh to $0.0477 per kilowatt-hour.
The final answer to the question raised is: 1 hour of lighting in the stadium, day or night is (384,000 watts-hr/1000 watts/KW) x ($0.0477/ KW-hr) x (1 hr) = $18.32 per hour.
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What’s the difference between our total energy consumption and the energy intensity of our campus?
Energy intensity is the energy usage per gross square foot of campus. Measurements based on this metric allow for growth as long as Ohio U continues to improve its energy efficiency. Measurements based only on total energy consumption would limit growth because building new facilities or expanding operations demand more electricity, heating, and cooling. “Energy intensity” is the metric used in Ohio House Bill 251 which requires Ohio U to create a plan to reduce this intensity by 20% from 2004 levels by 2014.
Heat energy is generally measured in MMBTU and energy intensity is expressed as MMBTU/Gross Square Feet (GSF). A BTU is the amount of heat it takes to heat one pint of water one degree Fahrenheit. A wooden kitchen match generally gives off 1 BTU. MMBTU is a million BTUs.
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How can I save energy in my dorm, office, or home?
You can cut back energy use by making sure appliances like computers and lights aren’t wasting energy. Lighting consumes as much as ¾ of the energy we use on campus. Simple steps like turning the lights off when you leave a room will reduce this demand. Incandescent light bulbs only use 10-15% of the energy they consume to create light (the rest is unwanted heat) and should always be turned off when not in use. Fluorescents (including CFLs) are more sensitive to being turned on and off and should be switched off only if you’re leaving the room for longer than 15 minutes. Fluorescent light bulbs require an initial rush of current that uses more energy than leaving lights on for a few minutes, so it’s actually more cost and energy efficient to leave them on if you will be returning to a room within the next few minutes.
You can also change your incandescent light bulbs to compact-fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) which use only one-fourth the energy and lasts up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs. That’s about $30 worth of electricity that won’t need to be produced or purchased. Contact the Office of Sustainability if you are a student, faculty, or staff member interested in free CFLs.
(CFL link: http://www.ohio.edu/sustainability/GreenPurchasingCFLs.htm)
Turning off your computer monitor when you’re not using it for more than 20 minutes and shutting down your entire system when you’ll be away for more than two hours can save the 65-250 watts of power it takes to operate an average desktop. Setting your computer to sleep, standby, or hibernate when you’re away for less than 20 minutes is an easy way to reduce your computer’s energy consumption to just 1-6 watts during this time.
Follow these paths to change your computer’s sleep settings:
-In Windows go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Power Options
-On a Mac go to System Preferences > Energy Saver
Note: Screensavers often increase energy consumption and modern LCD color monitors don’t even need a screensaver. Only when the screen goes completely dark is a computer actually saving energy. Dark backgrounds on your desktop also use less energy than bright ones.
Unplug all accessories including printers, speakers, and scanners when not in use. And if you don’t need any extra light while you’re working on a computer, switch off desk lamps and overhead lights. Consider plugging appliances into a power strip that can be easily switched off when you’re leaving the office or dorm. Some power strips can detect when appliances are not in use and switch off automatically.
It’s particularly important to reduce energy consumption during peak hours. The amount of energy consumed during peak hours determines the capacity required of power plants and reducing it will reduce the demand for more power plants and help scale back the intensity of those already built. “Peak hours” as defined by AEP Ohio are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For more tips from Ohio U’s Green Computing Guide, visit http://www.ohio.edu/sustainability/greenpc/
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Should I turn off my lights when I leave the room for only a few minutes?
 Incandescent light bulbs are inefficient and only use 10-15% of the energy they consume to create light. The rest is lost to heat, so incandescents should always be turned off when not in use. Fluorescents (including CFLs) are more sensitive to being turned on and off frequently and should be switched off only if you’re leaving the room for longer than 15 minutes. Fluorescent light bulbs require an initial rush of current that uses more energy than leaving lights on for a few minutes, so it’s actually more cost and energy efficient to leave them on if you will be returning to a room within the next fifteen minutes.
You can also change your incandescent light bulbs to compact-fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) which use only one-fourth the energy and lasts up to 10 times longer (five years, on average) than regular bulbs. That’s about $30 worth of electricity that doesn’t need to be produced or purchased.
For more info, visit the page this information came from:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/lighting_daylighting/index.cfm/mytopic=12280
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Does turning my computer on and off use more energy than leaving it on?
Computers require a small surge of power to start up but this amount is far less than the power a computer consumes when fully operating for more than three minutes. The average desktop uses 65-250 watts of power and the typical laptop uses about 15-45 watts. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends turning off your monitor if you won’t be using your computer in the next 20 minutes and to shut down the entire system if you’re not going to use it in the next two hours. But with modern computers equipped to handle 40,000 on/off cycles, it wouldn’t hurt to shut down your computer more often.
For more information about computer energy savings, visit
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/computers.html
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/appliances/index.cfm/mytopic=10070
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Is it worth unplugging appliances or is turning them off just as good?
Many appliances continue using energy even when turned off or on standby.
This includes computers, televisions, kitchen appliances, stereos, battery chargers, and any device with a clock, sensor, or lighted display. Five percent of the energy we use in the United States is consumed by appliances that are on standby.
A plugged-in laser printer will consume 113 kilowatt-hours of energy each year at an annual price of $5.36 at Ohio U’s current electricity rate of $0.04743 per kilowatt-hour. Each computer will cost $14.75 for the 311 kilowatt-hours it consumes in passive standby mode and microwaves will eat up 35 kilowatt-hours of energy at a price of $1.66 apiece.
For more rates of “vampire” energy consumption, check out this chart from Good magazine:
http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/transparency/008/trans008vampireenergy.html
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For more information, please contact Sonia Marcus, Sustainability Coordinator, at marcuss@ohio.edu or 740-593-0460.
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