District Heating at the University of Sheffield Phil Riley, Energy Manager

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District Heatingat the University of
SheffieldPhil Riley, Energy Manager
CHP in Further and Higher EducationThe
University of Sheffield, 26 April 2004
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Presentation outline

• Background reasons why the University connected
  to the system
• Benefits
• Disadvantages

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Background

• Why did the University of Sheffield connect?
• Advisors to the original scheme
• Huge energy consumer
• Plant at the end of its useful life
• Efficiency improvements

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Advisors to the original scheme

• Sheffield CHP Consortium formed in 1984
• Members included Sheffield City Council, British
  Gas and Rolls Royce
• Advisors included the University of Sheffield and
  Sheffield Polytechnic

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Huge energy consumer

• Research-based university
• 25,000 staff and students
• Energy-intensive areas e.g. laboratories
• 24-hour operation
• Over 200 buildings
• Total floor area 260,000 m2
• Heating costs 1m per year

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Useful life of plant

• Ageing gas-fired and oil-fired boiler plant
• Problems with noise, dirt etc
• Expensive to maintain
• High replacement costs

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Efficiency improvements

• Large energy losses
• Overall plant efficiencies around 50
• High energy consumption and costs
• Problems with inadequate domestic hot water supply

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Connection to system

• First connections in 1993/4

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Connection to system

• Extended to serve the majority of the
  Universitys main site by end of 1994

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Connection to system

• Our sports centre is at the end of the network

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The University of Sheffield

• Over 60 heat exchangers
• Serving over thirty University buildings

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Connected buildings - examples

• Rotunda
• Senior management
• St Georges Church
• Lecture Theatres, Accommodation

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• Arts Tower Library
• Architecture, Languages
• Dainton Building
• Dept of Chemistry
• Students Union

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Totals

• 45 MW heating capacity
• 10 MW domestic hot water capacity
• 700,000 annual spend
• Note gas spend 250,000 pa

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Caution!

• Connection to a district heating system will not
  rectify bad design!

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Benefits

• Operational
• Environmental
• Financial

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Benefits

• Operational
• No flues nor chimneys to maintain
• No boiler servicing required
• Reliable equipment
• Long-term supply agreements
• Network constantly monitored

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Benefits

• Environmental
• Reduced consumption of fossil fuels
• Atmospheric pollution minimised
• Quiet and odourless operation
• Reduces our environmental impact
• Improves our environmental image

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Benefits

• Financial
• Space savings (especially in new build)
• Servicing costs reduced
• Low maintenance
• Economies of scale

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Disadvantages

• Single supplier
• Long-term contracts due for renewal in 2004
• Dependent on network route
• Not always financially viable to extend network

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Disadvantages

• Space issues
• Space in existing plant rooms is often unsuitable
  for other uses
• No provision in new buildings for future
  installation of boiler plant
• Supply security
• Although standby generation available

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Summary

• The University of Sheffield
• Is committed to energy from waste district
  heating
• Receives excellent levels of service from Onyx
• Enjoys operational, environmental and financial
  benefits

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Summary

• The University of Sheffield
• Is keen to connect more of its buildings to the
  network
• Continues to investigate sources of funding to
  finance the above (e.g. via Community Energy
  Programme)

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The future

• The Universitys future plans include
• District heating at a major residential site
• Extending the current network
• Investigating wood fuelled energy generation

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Thank you