Skyline College will soon become a pioneer in energy usage, as the school is adopting a technology that generates electricity and simultaneously uses the heat wasted by this generator for heating and cooling.
     With this “cogeneration” system, the waste heat is used as opposed to exhausted into the environment.
     This new technology is being constructed and installed by the Chevron Energy Solutions Company, a division of ChevronTexaco.
     This energy generating system will only be adopted by Skyline and College of San Mateo (CSM) in our district. According to Mary Ann Duggan, project manager for Chevron Energy Solutions Company, while few other colleges use a similar system, the generators in Skyline and CSM will be the biggest ones to be operating.
     In a memorandum to San Mateo County Community College District, Robert Redlinger, of ChevronTexaco, explained that by using the new system, the district will not have to pay, “cost and losses associated with transmitting and distributing the electricity over great distances to the costumer’s site.”
     Given these facts, the District expects to have energy savings of about $500,000 per year for both colleges.
     The SMCCCD’s Energy Services Program was presented at the Board of Trustees meeting along with other improvement projects going on in the district’s three campuses.
     Duggan presented the project at the meeting. She explained that after evaluating different technologies, the company chose natural gas fired reciprocating engines for three reasons.
     First, they can modulate the campus’ electrical load. Second, most of the waste heat can be used for space, pool and domestic water heating. And third, they have lower procurement and construction costs.
     According to Karen Freeman Assistant Program Manager for Swinerton Management and Consulting, the group that handles district-wide construction projects, while the prices for natural gas can ascend rapidly, the district already secured a contract to ensure low prices on the fuel.
     “Although the engines are fueled by natural gas, the district will still save money due to our natural gas contract,” Freeman said. “The height of the season the campuses will pay about one quarter of the price a residence or small business would pay.”
     The generators both at Skyline and CSM are ready to start working and as soon as the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG & E) finish installing gas meters for the new generators, the campuses will begin to utilize this innovative technology.
     “We are waiting for PG & E to install the new gas meters,” Duggan said. “We are hoping that to be done this month or next month.”