April 12, 1996: Volume 37, Number 1

College To Receive $1.8 M Energy Loan

The College has been awarded a $1.769 million Federal loan for energy conservation programs to improve efficiency and reduce costs for things like air conditioning and lighting.

The funding, through the College and University Energy Assistance Program, is in the form of an interest-free loan which Union will repay out of savings realized from the energy improvements.

"This loan is important to Union College because it will allow the institution to accelerate its ongoing programs to save energy, money and the environment," President Hull said. "Union has come a long way in making our historic campus more energy efficient. But this loan represents a large step toward our goal of spending less on heating our classrooms and more on educating the women and men who use them."

Union, a five-year partner in the EPA Green Lights energy conservation program, has taken a number of measures to cut energy costs and protect the environment. The College has replaced about 65 percent of its lighting with high-efficiency units at annual savings of 172,000 kilowatt-hours and $15,000 per year. According to the Green Lights program, the reduction in energy consumption at Union has spared the atmosphere nearly 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, 600,000 grams of sulfur dioxide and 225,000 grams of nitrous oxide.

A 1995 law created the College and University Energy Assistance Program. The 1995-96 State budget allocates $11.3 million statewide for the revolving loan funds. The money comes from the state's Petroleum Overcharge Restitution Fund, which consists of fines and fees collected from petroleum companies for overcharging customers in the 1970s.

Union was one of only 11 colleges and universities selected for the program. David Grzybowski, director of campus operations was author of the College's proposal.

Upgrades at Union are to include:

• Replacement of 30-year-old cooling systems with new state-of-the-art systems;
• Extending energy management controls to more buildings, to tailor energy consumption to building use patterns;
• Retrofitting motors for air handling systems with high-efficiency units; and
• Retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient lighting.

The loan program is administered by the Power Authority of the State of New York (PASNY). The interest-free loan will be paid back in 10 years, using the savings in energy costs resulting from conservation projects. The revolving funds will then be available for use by other colleges and universities.

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