| Summary: | This report is a result of a request to investigate the possibility of employing solar energy
at a residential secondary school to reduce energy costs. Our approach was to explore this possibility in the context of a more general survey of opportunities to conserve energy (in particular, fuel)
at the school. Our purpose was more to illustrate how to go about an appraisal of conservation opportunities
plus implementation and evaluation of the most productive conservation measures, than a rigorous examination of the facility with detailed instructions on how to take care of specific problems.
A large number of actions that would result in net energy cost savings considerably greater than
could be realized from solar systems were discovered. For a solar application, a domestic hot water
system,supplementing that heated bytankless coils in oil burning furnaces,has the greatest potential
for significant return on investment.
The school's total utility system (total energy, co-generation) meets all electrical and steam
needs with the exception of the electric power required for one building. A heat recovery system on
the diesel engines for the electric generators furnishes a sizeable portion of the steam.
Areas discussed in detail are: (1) optimization of the efficiency of oil fueled residential
heating furnaces; (2) optimized operation of a total energy system; (3) lighting, insulation, air
infiltration control; (4) heat management, scheduling and control. A methodology for preparing
energy audits, energy flow charts and procedures for the evaluation of the need for the amounts of
energy consumed for each individual purpose are also given. The importance of considering the application of solar energy in the broader conservation context is emphasized.
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