Notes: Meeting, July 11 '07

Again, I apologize for being tardy in getting these posted!

Meeting Notes
July 11, 2007

In attendance:
Sonia Marcus
Amy Nordrum
Ron Chapman
Jarrod Pollard

• No one seems to be using the blog! This is a problem. Everyone who is working on collecting or processing data in any way should be postings updates on their progress (or lack thereof, as the case may be) at least twice a week. We have to keep in mind that we are creating a resource for people outside our group and outside our university to understand what we are up to. It is also essential to our communication within the group. So post twice a week, fer cryin' out loud!
• Amy's updates and questions, as well as comments from Ron --

- Natural gas varies in its BTU potential during the year. In the summer, you can get more MMBTU per MCF than in the winter. That has to do with the rate of withdrawal of the gas from the ground.

- Volumes do not need to be modified. But if we post in MMBTU's, that's going to depend on the year and the time of year.

- We had MCF's and MMBTU's in the version 4.0 of the spreadsheet which was one reason for the discrepancies. The newer version asks for natural gas in MMBTU's.

- Industry assumption is the following: 1 MCF = 1 million BTU's = 1 MMBTU

- Currently we are actually getting 1.0986 MMBTU per 1 MCF. So they're not exactly the same.

- Is the data reported in fiscal years or calendar years? Or according to the academic calendar?? Amy should ask the CA-CP person about this. All data from Ron is fiscal year-based.

- On coal (used to generate heat at Lausche): OEPA, USEPA and DOE require calendar year documentation on % ash, BTU per lb., % sulfur, SO2.

- Coal data entered into the 4.0 spreadsheet looks good.

- Ron commenced reporting mid-year in fiscal year 2000. Before that it was someone else (Bruce).

- Amy needs conversion factors for natural gas and steam (lbs to MMBTU's). She will use historical average of conversion factors for nat gas data from pre-1999.

- Bruce's data is stored in hard copy somewhere at the Ridges but we're not exactly sure where.

- Amy was pulling steam values off of actual production documents, not summaries. No data pre-1999.

- Ron has solid numbers back to January 1998 (mid fiscal year 1998).

- We have to make sure we are being consistent with fiscal vs. calendar year data!

- Converting steam to MMBTU's:

1 lb of saturated steam has a latent heat value of 1000 BTU

1000 lbs (1 kilopound) --> 1 million BTU = 1 MMBTU

- Amy could not find effiency values for steam production. Ron does a separate report with total MMBTU of gas and coal. In that doc, you get average overall blended efficiency of gas and coal. So that doesn't do the trick.

- 82% was an estimate of efficiency suggested by Clyde Pierce, chief operator at the Lausche heating plant. We need to analyze this further. Ron will go back and look at monthly reports to determine heat input to derived heat output value. Is that what CA-CP means by "efficiency"?

- Prior to 1999, there is no split between Lauscho gas and the rest of the gas used on campus. Problematic! Two old notebooks have been located which may contain more detailed info. Ron will look through them.

- No data for nat gas for all stationery sources on campus after 1999. Amy couldn't find it in the charts. That will be total gas minus Lauscho gas. Ron will check.

- About 11% of heat is produced using nat gas, 89% using coal.

• Jarrod's updates, comments, questions:

- Looking up info on operating budget, 06-07. Checked all info from prior years and it looks ok.

- The 06-07 budget numbers will change to some extent until final close. Need 5 more days or so.

- Also trying to find energy budget and research budget. Will go through institutional research for this.

- Ron says Diane Mack might be of help at institutional research.

- Jarrod is also interested in agriculture & transportation issues.

- Bruce Nottke is the new Transportation Director. He has been alerted that we are going to be investigating records of miles, overall fuel use by type, fleet efficiency, overall # of vehicles, etc.

• Sonia pointed out that the date was wrong for Gov Strickland's signing of the Executive Order on the document comparing the PCC vs. house bill 251 vs. the E.O. Ron let us know that the Governor actually signed it on January 4th, 2007. He will correct that file and re-send. Certain provisions were made effective immediately, others in April.

END