The past 100 years positioned Oklahoma City University as a leading liberal arts and sciences institution, but time had taken a toll on the school’s steam heating system.

By 2016, Oklahoma City University Facility Director Mark Clouse faced a dilemma. “We were interested in doing some capital projects, and steam was big on our radar. We had to do something about aging equipment and failing lines, but we did not have the capital to do what we needed to do.”

Clouse spoke with several companies who did not see the potential in a steam project. Then he spoke with Leidos.

Steam Optimization Project Earns High Marks from Oklahoma City University

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LOCALIZED STRATEGY HEATS UP SAVINGS

Soon after the conversation with Clouse, a team from Leidos visited the university to identify areas ripe for energy-saving improvements — putting the school’s steam system squarely in their sights.

For decades, the university had relied upon a central steam plant to provide heat and hot water to the 950,000 square foot campus, from dorm rooms to the dining hall. Using three 600-horsepower, natural gas-fired boilers, the aging system converted steam to hot water using shell and tube heat exchangers.

After an in-depth evaluation, Leidos recommended a steam optimization strategy. Developed by Leidos’ in-house energy experts, the concept involves replacing the central steam plant with localized, hot water boilers and gas hot water heaters to serve individual building needs. This decentralized approach is proven to eliminate inefficiencies common to central steam distribution systems.

A localized approach eliminates waste by better matching output to need in each building. Along with greater comfort and control in individual buildings, decentralization offers a number of benefits:

> Eliminating steam losses in heat exchangers and distribution lines

> Avoiding the cost of treating and raising make-up water temperature to steam conditions (saving nearly $15,000 per year)

> Improving boiler combustion efficiency by 10% on average (saving more than $166,000 in annual fuel costs)

> Eliminating failures and costly repairs in buried steam distribution pipes

With the green light from the university, the Leidos team replaced the single large system with eight high-efficiency localized heating systems — with minimal disruption or discomfort to students and staff.

“We have more equipment now, but there is far less preventive maintenance for a smaller hot water boiler compared to a large steam boiler,” says Clouse. “The building heating systems are stand-alone now, so if we have a boiler issue, it is limited to a single building. Redundancies are built into the new systems, so no one will be totally without heat if a problem arises.”

As an added bonus, the system change led to more palatable work hours for the Facilities department.

“Because our original system used high-pressure steam, we had to staff it 24/7,” says Clouse. “With the new hot water boilers, we were able to put more crew members on day shift and swing shift where they can be more productive. We are saving a lot of man-hours and budget dollars.”

NEW DEGREES OF EFFICIENCY

The university’s steam optimization project opened the door for Leidos to implement additional measures that reduced operating and maintenance costs:

> Converting air handlers in one dormitory from a large single fan to a fan wall offers significantly greater control.

> Variable refrigerant flow heating in two buildings reduces annual energy costs by more than $55,000 and provides greater control.

> Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation eliminates the need for manual coil cleaning in air handlers – saving more than $78,000 annually and improving air quality.

> Campus-wide LED lighting upgrades and controls produce more than $200,000 in yearly savings and reduce maintenance costs.

> An Energy Management System upgrade allows the school to schedule HVAC output to match building occupancy, making energy savings effortless.

Leidos completed the $7.5 million project in June 2018, on time and within budget. As a result, the university will save an estimated $630,000 per year through steam optimization and additional upgrades.

CAPITAL: THE COST OF ADMISSION

While the savings speak for themselves, the university’s deep dive into efficiency would have been beyond reach without financing from Leidos.

The school seized a unique opportunity to implement all recommended improvements through a performance contract in which Leidos utilized one of their financing options to fund the project. The school’s loan payments are covered by savings in annual electric, gas, water and maintenance costs.

“Any university will have a large deferred maintenance list and struggle to find funding for it. But when you can use future energy savings to pay for a project, it’s a game-changer,” says Clouse. “The Leidos performance contract turned a nearly $8 million project into something doable.”

As a result, the university retained critical funds that can be used for education or other important capital projects — and avoided the need to raise tuition or fees to cover the steam optimization project. The project is on track to generate $2 million in savings for the university over the next 15 years.

For the life of the performance contract, Leidos will maintain and service the university’s new heating equipment — continuing a relationship that has earned high marks from Clouse.

“I would highly recommend Leidos’ solutions. The Leidos team made sure our needs were met and that the work flowed easily,” says Clouse. “Communication went really well throughout the project, and issues were addressed early on. The Leidos team is very responsive.”

The bottom line?

Using Leidos’ performance contract option, the university was able to improve system performance and achieve significant savings with no large outlays of cash. “We were facing problems related to aging boilers and an aging steam system. We no longer have those problems,” says Clouse. “Leidos lessened our headaches.”

LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD WITH LEIDOS

A pioneer in energy efficiency, Leidos provides innovative solutions and progressive approaches to saving energy. For decades, Leidos has helped institutions like Oklahoma City University reduce their carbon footprint and boost their bottom line. When you partner with Leidos, you gain access to a global network of uniquely skilled energy professionals who can share cutting-edge best practices and lessons learned from around the world.

“When you can use future energy savings to pay for a

project, it’s a game-changer. The Leidos performance

contract turned a nearly $8 million project into

something doable.”

~ Mark Clouse, Facility Director, Oklahoma City University

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