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After more than a year of planning and anticipation, the University of Maine is finally ready to begin construction on a new natural gas pipeline designed to efficiently heat several buildings on campus.
The buildings will include the Keyo Public Affairs Building, the Services Building and Libby Hall for the first pipeline. A second pipeline will be installed to supply natural gas to the Mahaney Dome for heating and to power an emergency generator.
Currently, these buildings are heated by propane and No. 2 heating oil. Once construction is complete, more than 100,000 gallons of fuel will be replaced with natural gas each year.
“We are expecting a two- to three-year payback on our investment,” said Michael Swartz, the energy and utilities manager in Facilities Management.
Swartz said the six- to eight-week construction process will cost the university roughly $100,000. Unfortunately, with construction will come temporary disruption for vehicular traffic and parking along Rangeley and Belgrade roads, as well as for pedestrian traffic near the Mahaney Dome.
Saving money on fuel is not the only motivation driving this project. According to Swartz, converting to natural gas would mean a 27 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and a 15 percent decrease from propane.
“Alternative energy seems to be everything these days,” Swartz said.
Several departments at UMaine, such as Facilities Management and Auxiliary Services, are committing time and working together toward developing alternative energy use at the university.
This pipeline could lead to future projects that would supply natural gas for heat to other buildings currently using heating oil and propane. Swartz said Facilities Management is currently working on negotiations for additional natural gas pipelines. Specifically, plans are underway for the Memorial Union, the AEWC Advanced Structures and Composites Center and the Hilltop Commons and Marketplace.
Luckily for UMaine, Bangor Natural Gas is playing a major role in the installation process.
An economic model is what makes this plan work according to John Kunz, manager of marketing and sales for Bangor Natural Gas. The economic model, which is a five-year revenue plan with the university, is used for most customers of Bangor Natural Gas. The revenue given by the university would go toward operation and maintenance. In return, Bangor Natural Gas would install the pipeline at no charge.
This means the university won’t be responsible for the underground pipeline up to the meter. The piping from the meter to the boilers and the boilers themselves will be the only maintenance to the system required by the university. The economic model had first to be approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission before Bangor Natural Gas could distribute its option to customers.
According to Kunz, there are a number of buildings already heated by natural gas, including the Alfond Arena, Sawyer Environmental Research Center, Aubert Hall, the Bryand Global Science Building, Library Storage, the Sigma Chi Heritage House and some fraternity houses. Bangor Natural Gas provides heating to residential, commercial and industrial customers in Bangor, Old Town, Orono, Hampden, Brewer and Bucksport.
According to the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security, the current average price in Maine for a gallon of No. 2 heating oil is $2.76. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that one thousand cubic feet of natural gas cost $16.38 in July 2010.
According to U.S. Energy Information Administration, the demand for natural gas has increased significantly in just the past 10 years. Maine receives most of its natural gas from Canada and ships over one-half of its natural gas receipts to the Boston area. Since an expansion of Northeast pipeline and a new liquid natural gas facility in New Brunswick, Canada, Maine has increased its supply capabilities to the Northeast markets.
