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    1. Energy Efficiency

    Ohio Community College investing $3.3M in Renewable & Energy Efficiency upgrades

    April 1, 2022
    A 1-MW ground-mounted solar array system will be installed under this project. More than 400 emergency light fixtures and more than 2700 other fixtures, including lamps, will be replaced with LED lighting systems.
    Image credit Northwest State Community College
    Northwest State Community College Overview 62476a43d3719

    Northwest State Community College of Ohio has engaged with services firm Veregy on a $3.3 million plan to add solar energy on-site as well as upgrade HVAC, LED lighting and building automation at the campus near Archbold.

    The self-funded project is expected to help save $239,237 for the college, which may be diverted to core educational efforts.

    A 1-MW ground-mounted solar array system will be installed under this project, without any impact on the green space. The array system will be installed in a paved area on the northwest side of the campus.

    The array will have more than 2,500 solar panels. The system will also provide hands-on education to STEM students on renewable energy sources.

    “After many years of keeping NSCC as efficient as possible, the next step to save the college money was to turn to a renewable energy source, and solar was the best option,” Kevin Gerken, NSCC Director of Plant Operations, Construction, and Renovation, commented on the project, said. “We have taken part in many rebate programs and have been inspected by numerous energy efficiency companies. The findings of the audits revealed that we were running at near peak efficiency. Another selling point in the installation of the solar array is that the learners will be able to view how the array is working and how much electricity it will be producing at any given time. We really can't wait to see the future savings through the next phases of the construction.”

    Under the project, more than 400 emergency light fixtures and more than 2700 other fixtures, including lamps, will be replaced with LED lighting systems. The HVAC system will also be upgraded to improve efficiency. The upgrades will include rebuilding of an existing air handling unit and replacement of outdated equipment.

    Veregy will also conduct a retro-commissioning study of the building automation system to identify areas that need to be fine-tuned.

    The mechanical and electrical work will be undertaken by firms in Northwest Ohio and the surrounding areas. Solar panels will be made by a firm in the vicinity. 

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.