(Water -- Steam -- Chilled Water -- Electrical -- Telecommunications)

The campus is heated from an existing 225,000 pounds/hour high-pressure steam plant located at the Central Energy Facility just west of Klugh Avenue and north of Fort Hill Street. The winter steam demand for the campus is nominally 110,000 pounds/hour.

The growth of the campus outlined in the 18-year improvement plan will add approximately 2.5 million gross square feet of academic and research facilities requiring some 120,000 pounds/hr of additional consumption. Balancing this added demand against energy conservation programs for the existing buildings on campus, should result in the existing plant capacity being maximized during periods of the coldest weather.

High-pressure steam is currently generated for the campus by utilizing three techniques:

• Gas turbines -- 75,000 pounds/hour
• Dual fuel packaged boilers -- 75,000 pounds/hour
• Coal boiler -- 75,000 pounds/hour

The decision as to which technique to use for providing steam to the facilities is based on the economics of plant operation. This ongoing evaluation includes the comparable fuel and maintenance costs of each generator.

To allow for similar life cycle cost optimization at the expanded load, each of the three generating capacities should be doubled as a part of the 18-year improvement plant. A cost of $30,000,000 should be budgeted for this work.

Steam is supplied to the campus through an underground concrete pipe conduit at nominally 115 psi during the heating months and nominally
90 psi to 115 psi during the summer months.

The concrete conduit looped through the campus typically contains an
8" high-pressure steam main, a 4" pumped condensate return main, and a 2" high-pressure condensate drain main.

The proposed locations of the campus expansions are such that the existing steam mains are not of sufficient capacity to handle both the present and proposed loads. As a result, replacement and extension to the existing mains will need to be routed from the steam plant.

To serve the campus expansion to the south of Cooper Library, a new thermotile 8" high-pressure steam main and 2 °" thermotile pumped condensate main should be routed from the Central Energy Facility to this area at a nominal cost of $600,000.

To serve the campus expansion to the north of Highway 93, a new thermotile 8" high-pressure steam main and 2 1/2" pump condensate main should be routed from the Central Energy Facility to this area at a nominal cost of $740,000.  

For information, contact Gerald Vander Mey by email a to VGERALD@clemson.edu or by phone at (864) 656-5191.
Report prepared by Dober, Lidsky, Craig and Associates, Campus and Facility Planning Consultants
Last Updated: August 29, 2005

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