The Utility Project Team (UPT) was formed to execute the Lobo Energy, Inc (LEI) business plan that had been approved by the Board of Regents. The basic plan is to utilize UNM system revenue bonds to fund the project, with the savings created by the improvements and new efficiencies to repay the bonds over a 25-year period. Bonds were issued for approximately $52,700,000 in April 2001. Authorization to issue additional bonds up to $60,000,000 exists if required to complete the project.

Justification for the UPT

The utility generation equipment at Ford Utility Center (Ford) is mostly from the rebuild completed in 1948. Some equipment was added in the mid-1970s. However, the normal useful life of this equipment is 15 to 25 years, which we have far exceeded. The campus is having many problems related to under-capacity and ineffective supply of primary heating and cooling.
We have also added several aspects to the project in order to increase the utilities efficiencies, thereby creating the revenue to service the debt. They are the addition of the ECM work and the Cogen to be installed at Ford. This creates the opportunity to save energy, and therefore money, and also expands the generation of electricity to save electrical costs and reduce UNM’s reliance on power cost fluctuations.

Scope of UPT

The UPT scope is broken into three basic subprojects:

Energy Conservation Measures (ECM)

• The Lighting Upgrade project - Lighting upgrades to approximately 90 buildings includes the changing out of more that 150,000 fluorescent lights from T12 to T8 bulbs, to save 25% on their energy usage. Changing out all the magnetic ballasts to electronic ballasts will save about 30% on their energy costs.
• The Building Chilled Water Modifications (BCWM) project - Building Chilled Water Modifications to reverse short-term changes that were made over the years.
• Design and implementation of the EMCS - Energy Management and Control Systems Tier I (metering) for a majority of the 90 buildings being served by the utilities division energy supplies, with direct digital controls (DDC) Tier II (digital control for building HVAC and other areas) in several of the buildings and interfaces for communications of these installations back to the utility and maintenance personnel, in an effort to reduce energy costs.

Chilled Water System Upgrade (CWS)

• The Main Campus Distribution System project - addition of about a mile each of direct-buried chilled water supply and return lines. This ties the new chilled water plant to the existing utility systems.
• The Lomas Chilled Water Plant project - a two-story building, having a nominal 7,300- to 8,000-ton capacity, with future expansion of up to a 12,000-ton capacity.
• The North Campus Distribution System - upgrades with connections for the new buildings and balancing of its hydraulics. Lomas Boulevard crossing, to extend the current connections to the north campus. The crossing will consist of two 24" pipelines in 30" sleeves being put through a boring under Lomas Boulevard. This brings all of the current and future cooling water primarily from the new Lomas Chilled Water Plant, making the HSSB chiller a backup and the north plant redundant (the new Children’s Pavilion will displace its location).

Ford Utility Center Renovation (FORD)

• Chiller and Boiler Addition - A new addition on the south side of the existing structure for the two new chillers and the new replacement electrical equipment. An addition to house two new boilers appended to the south side of the existing structure.
• New Ford equipment - A new Cogen facility consisting of two 5.5 MW GTGs (gas turbine generators) with HRSGs (heat recovery steam generators) in the existing boiler room. One Cogen will be put in during 2003 and a second unit scheduled for 2008 or 2009.
• Ford Utilities Equipment Demolition - The five existing boilers demolished and the boiler room cleared out to make way for the two new Cogen plants. Demolish the three existing chillers and clear all the equipment out of that area
• Cogeneration, Control Room, and Tenant Improvements - A new central control room and miscellaneous shops necessary for running the utility center constructed in the current chiller room.

Maintaining communication with the campus community

The UPT has established protocols to advise affected and interested stakeholders of the activities of the projects. In addition, the team has contributed to several public activities including a display at the State Fair, numerous presentations to campus and PPD groups, and tours of the UPT projects.