SYRACUSE, NY — Syracuse University and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have partnered on a $1.8 million dollar project to improve energy efficiency at the campus. NYSERDA is providing $522,320 for the installation of a new chiller, which will provide cooling and reduce annual energy costs by nearly $150,000.

"Syracuse University is one of the leading universities in the nation and an asset to higher education in New York. With that said, I am proud that NYSERDA could assist the university in reducing its energy costs," said NYSERDA president William M. Flynn. "This project illustrates Governor Pataki's determination to help New York's institutions, municipalities, and businesses cut costs through energy efficiency."

"Carrier is proud to have been selected by Syracuse University to install a new, high-efficiency chiller that uses non-ozone depleting refrigerant," said Tony Guzzi, president of Carrier's North America Distribution and Service business unit. "This project is yet another example of the highly effective programs NYSERDA and Governor Pataki deliver to help New York state consumers make smart energy choices."

As the energy service company for the university, Carrier assisted with installation and start-up of the new chiller. Rather than using electricity, the new chiller is driven by a steam turbine, which will help the college avoid added electricity costs. More than 1.8 million kWh, or enough electricity to power more than 300 homes for a year, will be saved as a result of this installation.

This project was done through NYSERDA's Commercial/Industrial Performance Program, which provides financial incentives to energy service companies and engineering firms that work with municipal, industrial, and commercial utility customers to identify and implement energy-saving strategies. The incentives, combined with the energy savings, help to pay for the capital improvements. The level of incentives that NYSERDA provides depends on the level of energy savings achieved in a given project as well as the types of efficiency measures implemented.

In addition to the new chiller, NYSERDA also provided $50,000 for two studies: one that established the feasibility of the chiller improvements and a rate analysis and aggregation project. Through the aggregation study, Syracuse University installed new meters to track energy use. The study also found that by strategically placing a number of meters throughout the campus, the university can track time of day energy use. The information will then be used to develop a Request For Proposal for the purchase of electricity commodity on the competitive market. An additional benefit will be that the school will be able to assess its energy consumption on a weekly and monthly basis. This data can then be used to help decrease future energy consumption.

Additional information about NYSERDA’s programs can be found at www.nyserda.org.

Publication date: 11/04/2002