The Thermal Systems Task Forceannounced an initial recommendation of Option 2B of the University of Oregon Thermal Heating Systems Transition at a community forum on Jan. 22.
The task force looked at the estimated emissions reductions for each of the options. Option 3 and Option 4 will gradually phase in emissions reductions as the new heating system is installed. These options will take at least 12 years to complete.
For Option 2A and Option 2B, the electrode boilers can be integrated into the current heating system. As a result, the university will see immediate emissions reductions. The task recommends Option 2B because of the immediate emissions reductions and its ability to partner with the other options.
But in Nov. 2023, UO students and local activists supported Option 4 due to estimated greenhouse gas emissions reduction and high efficiency. ASUO passed a resolution in support of Option 4, and activists released a letter to the Board of Trustees.
In the letter, activists presented the effects of methane emissions on the environment and public, and their argument on why the university should choose Option 4.
The activists believed that the high-efficiency electric chillers are the superior option for the university. As a result, they encouraged the university to pick Option 4, as they felt the university has a “moral obligation” to the UO community to transition off fossil fuels.
According to the letter, “the University has long been seen as a national leader on climate and environmental issues, and therefore, must take this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to climate action and cement its status as a champion for climate justice. As such, we encourage the Board of Trustees to move forward with Option Four.”
Many members of the Climate Justice League support Option 4 and do not want the university to go with Option 2B. Ian Finn, director of finance for Climate Justice League, supported Option 4 and said Option 2B is not enough.
“They are not going with Option 2B because it is necessarily effective,” he said. “It’s the cheapest option that will look good for the university. They can claim they are reducing their emissions and the option will reduce our emissions, but it is not enough,” Finn said.
Molly Babcock, co-director of the Climate Justice League, felt Option 2B was a good start for the university.
“The tentative recommendation of Option 2B is great for now, but for this to be a just transition for students and our community, it needs to be followed up on with further action within the next few years,” Babcock said. “Option 2B alone is not enough.”
The task force has four options for the university to consider with Option 2 being split into two. The options are business as usual, electrode boilers, a heat recovery chiller and a geo-exchange plus heat recovery chiller.
Business as usual is the basis for the option comparison and sees no changes in the current heating system. A heat recovery chiller captures heat that would have been vented to the atmosphere and uses it for heating needs. The geo-exchange option is added to the heat recovery chiller and requires boreholes, or vertical shafts in the ground, to extract heat from the ground.
The new thermal system options will either replace or enhance the current system in an effort to reduce emissions and increase efficiency. Each option comes with benefits and drawbacks like costs, campus disruption, construction and immediate effect.
The task force estimates that the electrode boilers will have an immediate emissions reduction from business as usual upon implementation since it allows the heating system to produce steam without the usage of natural gas, Brian Fox, associate vice president of Budget, Financial Analysis and Data Analytics at Campus Planning and Facilities Management, said.
What is Option 2B?
An electrode boiler is a machine that uses electrical energy to make steam instead of natural gas boilers. According to the Thermal Systems Task Force Public Forum presentation, the electrode boiler system can pair with the current steam distribution system, and the task force predicts it could reduce emissions by 45% in 2028.
“It relies on the current infrastructure, so it is pretty simple in some ways because the project or the switch out would be done across Franklin,” Fox said. “Folks on campus would not see it and would have minimal disruption.”
Option 2B will replace the existing natural gas boilers, which will provide an immediate emissions reduction since the electrode boilers use electricity instead of natural gas. However, 2B is insufficient on its own in the long run because the long term goal of the project is zero emissions, Steve Mital, Director of Energy and Sustainability at CPFM, said.
“If we implement Option 2B, there are likely to be opportunities either in battery or thermal storage that can allow us to further optimize that system both to bring down greenhouse gas emissions and make it a more economical choice for us, but we need to figure those out,” Fox said
Fox said the option could electrify 54% of the university’s heating and immediately reduce emissions upon installation.
“Over time, the electrical grid is likely to become even greener than it is today and is already much greener than using natural gas,” he said. “There is a key advantage to electrification, and we see these immediate emissions reductions.”
Option 2B will increase the utility cost by $4.4 million per year starting in 2028. Fox said one drawback of the option is the $14.5 million capital cost, or the system’s initial cost for installation.
Mital said the total construction cost would be roughly $14.9 million, including electrode steam boiler costs along with electrical and other infrastructure costs.
“Electricity is much more expensive to use in a heating system than natural gas,” he said. “It’s why people use natural gas heating systems; they are very cost-efficient ways of heating your home or heating your campus.”
“Option 4 is a little bit more expensive at the front end, a little bit less expensive at the back end and then you see relative stability with business as usual,” Fox said. “Option 2A and Option 2B have always been a little bit more expensive than business as usual.”
What’s next in the project?
The task force will consider feedback as it finalizes its recommendation to President Scholz. The recommendation will be presented to Scholz by the first week of February.
