Abdeali Saherwala | Staff Writer
Featured image: The new boiler, which produces 100,000 pounds per hour of steam, replaces two 1960’s-era boilers. | Courtesy of Richard Francki
York installed a brand-new steam boiler in the Central Utilities Building (CUB) as part of the $17.4 million Central Utilities and Co-Generation Upgrades project. This upgrade to York’s basic utilities was subsidized by the Canadian government, the Ontario government, and was also partly funded by York.
“My role was initially to prepare the submission for external grants, and then to execute the project. This role includes production and distribution of energy and utilities,” says Richard Francki, assistant vice-president of Campus Services and Business Operations.
York is heated by a steam distribution system, which is a network of underground pipes that connect the buildings from different parts of campus to the CUB.
Additionally, the steam produced is utilized to heat domestic water (for bathing and tap water purposes), for humidification of the campus in order to ensure an appropriate moisture level, and for laboratory equipment sterilization.
“The boilers provide an essential service. Without building heat, academic operations could not take place, and campus buildings could freeze in winter.
“York has to have enough boilers to provide for peak winter heat loads, and has to have spare capacity in case a boiler fails or is being maintained. The boilers have to be reliable, and increasingly have to be energy-efficient, so as to reduce York’s environmental footprint.
“York had two 1960’s-era boilers that produced 50,000 pounds per hour of steam each. One of the two had already been placed out of service due to age. So the new boiler allows York to modernize the boiler fleet, reinstate lost capacity, and operate more efficiently. The cost of the new boiler was $994,000, and the installation cost was $902,000. The larger CUB renewal project also included, modernizing and renewing the other CUB boilers.
“Having this new boiler will permit York to move ahead with other greenhouse gas reduction projects. The removal of the old boilers freed up space in the CUB, so we did not have to build a new building for the new boiler,” he adds.
York has installed a 100,000 pound per hour NOMAD boiler from Groupe Simoneau, a more energy-efficient model which has a low turndown rate and emits less greenhouse gases through the combustion of natural gas.
“Also, the removal of the two old boilers allowed for the elimination of asbestos-containing insulation, thus eliminating an environmental hazard,” adds Francki.
The installment of this new boiler is expected to improve energy efficiency, increase capacity, and overall provide a reliable service.
