Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Energy BY R. VANCE BUTTS of The Gamecock staff Remember the energy crisis? It's faded into the background now that you don't have to wait in line three hours for five gallons of super-extra plus, but if you're a Carolina Student, you ought to remember it-you'll be paying, in part, for that crisis. USC energy costs rose $800,000 this past year, alnost the same (strangely enough' as the amount of revenue expected from the in crease in tuition and fees for the '75-'76 school year. It would seem, then, that USC would be seeking alternatives to the rising costs of energy. Recently, the Gamecock asked Dr. Harry McMillan, associate professor of engineering, about progress being made on the thermal front (the heating of water or other fluids by solar means), and about the possible application of thermal power to the energy problem. McMillan said, "I don't see anything being done that's going to cut the costs of energy next year or the next year." McMillan said a lengthy period of time is required to generate feasible ideas, draw plans, and implement construction. In the midst of an inflationary recession, McMillan said electrical costs are actually down. "Elec tricity is cheaper now than it was in the thirties. What else can you name that is cheaper now than in the thirties? The cost of electricity has continually gone down. We're just using more and more." USC's use of electrical power will increase substantially more in coming years with the present construction of the Russell House addition and the building of Gambrell Hall and other con struction projects. The ad ninistration has already begun to upgrade the efficiency of USC NAVY NUCLI BE ONE ( College men chemistry, m The Navy will g courses in physic< construction and oj For more in Write: Or Call: 'Crisis. Harry McMillian energy facilities. In an interview, Harold Brunton, vice president for operations, explained some of the moves already underway. An air con ditioning chiller atop the Physical Sciences Center (PSC), Brunton said, has suffered repeated failures and $30,000 insurance collected is being used to connect cold water pipes from the west energy facility to the PSC. This will reduce the amount of energy needed to cool the building. Another hookup of pipes between the East Energy Facility (EEF)and the old boiler plant behind Currell College, Brunton said, is designed to cut down on the use of the old boiler plant. That connection is now underway. Brunton explained the move saying, "It's (the old boiler plant) going to bust down in five or ten years. In the meantime, (after 'he connection is co!npleted) we think it can be shut down at times to conserve energy if one of the other plants is more efficient." "The medium range (5-10 years) approach to energy conservation," '"AR PROPULS' )F THE CHOS] /it dere. o ao Hrryaino Nclea r Lnanitervew Harol Brnton, diioing trll aofie Physia sad,haluffered repeated fLus an Br00insrnct76 Realit Brunton continued, "involves three completely separate approaches: one, the design of mechanical systems (air conditioning, heating) to go into buildings. Gambrell Hall, which is currently under design, is the first building that we are designing with energy conservation in mind. Up until now, our main objective has been comfort and convenience. At Gambrell Hall we have already eliminated 30 per cent of what normally would be installed in terms of the tonnage of heating and cooling equipment. A number of windows have been eliminated," he said. Also, a fail-safe air cir culating system is being installed that would trigger itself in case the main systems went off. "Ultimately," Brunton said, "I think the University is going to have to look at every building on campus." The second approach to energy conservation, Brunton said, would be t6'connect more campus buildings to the various energy facilities in order to increase ef ficiency. "We have a limited amount of interconnection at the present time. To completely in terconnect the entire campus will require a sum in excess of $5 million," Brunton explained. The third approach "is control of what we currently have," he said. "A limited amount of savings may be made by cutting down ther mostats-(but) we have hot and cold pipe systems. Cutting down the thermostats may not help at all. We don't know for sure. This is what we have to study. We are going to accelerate our moves." A long and exhaustive study would be required, he said, to point out the best ways to operate the facilities. An ad hoc group was supposed to have met near the end of July to study the overall energy situation, but as this issue of the Gamecock was going to press, the group Brunton referred to still had not met. When asked about the [ON OFFICER EN FEW sInp yis technica I fgaut ee Isrledtdein propusion lant >usoIfie er flVI 04I -5991 YAt US delay, he said, "We're facing something that's not going to be controlled or corrected overnight." Brunton moved up the estimate of the forming of the ad hoc group to sometime during the fall semester. As of now, he hopes to have an administrative staff member head the committee which may become a part of the Facilities and Grounds Advisory Committee. Brunton stressed in July the need, first* of all, to ascertain the proper questions needed to find answers to the energy problems. One question, however, is quite obvious: how to cut costs? Lowering thermostats may be one answer. Another would be to cut down the "peak use" amount of kilowatts used when several systems switch on at one time. USC presently pays SCE&G a fee to cover special equipment 20 *000000000 0066.. a **~ 0 a0S000g@ee *00 00. XI. e.0 :o:oo:6. S S. *eOS@. Go:ea . used to provide peak power. Brunton said there are several commercial systems used to prevent peak power consumption by timing the various en vironmental system motors to switch on, not at the same times, but at different times. "That's going to be studied too," he said. "Something has to be done. Something has to give." When asked about the long-term, future plans for energy supplies, Brunton said that consideration would be given to any practical, energy-producing means, in cluding solar power. A new report, he said, encouraged the use of solar power and breeder reactors (reactors which produce their own fuel). Brunton said he did not forsee USC going into the energy producing business. "I believe the power will be there from outside means." with~~ no hXg.al72 . . . . . . ... 00 0 e 5s g *****S00 6 a. 0 **~******** 00. 0' * 9:0:0 0~*gg*