Eastern U. ready to unveil $80 million energy efficiency project

Eastern University is about ready to finish negotiations and start work on an approximately $80 million energy efficiency project. "With any luck, you'll see dirt flying sometime next month," said Gary Reed, director of facilities planning and management. "We're very close to getting a contract with Honeywell." Honeywell International is a diverse technology and manufacturing company with a dedication to sustainability and environmental protection, according to its Web site. "It's the single biggest project the university has ever undertaken," Reed said. "We put a lot of planning effort into this project." The Renewable Energy Center is the largest part of the plan, and its main focus. "I think it's a great solution to a problem that has existed on campus for years," said Ryan Siegel, campus energy and sustainability coordinator. "It allows us to move away from burning coal, and it opens up new markets for renewable energy." The summer was spent developing plans for the biomass plant and other green upgrades scheduled for campus. "There are several miscellaneous projects still in the design state," Reed said. "It's going to be very green, very environmentally friendly." Twenty-three smaller projects are included in the pending Honeywell contract, but no strict order of completion has been set. Siegel said students would primarily notice the lighting upgrades this semester. The smaller projects include building insulation, new windows in residence halls and updates to the chilled-water system. "We're converting from a loop configuration to a supply-and-return system," Siegel said of the new chilled-water system. "The water will go from the chiller to the building and back to the chiller. It will keep the water from traveling from building to building." Reed said the whole contract will begin simultaneously. "There's a lot to get rolling," Reed said. "And I'm excited about it and students should be as well."

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