Delta’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $2.5 million replacement for boilers at the Stockton campus during its Oct. 3 meeting. The campus currently has three boilers that provide heat, all of which were constructed in 1996.
In 2000, boiler #3 failed, while boiler #2 failed earlier this year. These failures rendered 55 percent of the boilers’ heat capacity non-operational.
“All of Delta’s heating comes from the boilers at the Stockton campus,” said Director of Facilities Management and Operations Stacy Pinola via email.
“I will just add that this is definitely an important project. We obviously need to make sure that we are able to adequately heat the buildings on our campus, and this will help us do so more efficiently which will have a positive impact on the environment,” said Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler via email.
On Oct. 3, Delta’s Board of Trustees held a meeting where an item on their agenda was to address the importance of installing new boilers in a timely manner. During the non-consent agenda, the board also discussed entering into a contract with Compass Energy Solutions to complete the entailed work.
“Whereas, the District desires to enter into an energy service contract with Compass Energy Solutions for the replacement of boiler #2 and #3 at the Delta College Central Plant for $2,500,000,” states a document presented to the board on Oct. 3.
The ability to replace the boilers is made possible due to Government Code 4217. The code gives public agencies the ability to enter into contracts regarding energy conservation services.
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a public agency may enter into an energy service contract and any necessarily related facility ground lease on terms that its governing body determines are in the best interests of the public agency if the determination is made at a regularly scheduled public hearing, public notice of which is given at least two weeks in advance…,” states Government Code 4217 on the Energy Services Coalition website.
The project is estimated to cost $2.5 million, which will be “less than the cost of gas/electric used during the life expectancy of the equipment,” stated the Central Plant Boiler Replacement Project presentation given to the board at the Oct. 3 meeting.
There will be five boilers, each with 5MM btu (one million British thermal units) and a 20-plus year life expectancy installed. These new boilers will have gas pressure regulators, primary pumps and will only provide the campus with heating when it is needed. The third boiler (boiler #1) is still operational and has a 19MM btu, making the total of all six boilers 44MM btu, an improvement of 2MM btu.
The work is expected to begin Nov. 1 and is estimated to last six to seven weeks.
The installation of these new boilers is expected to both improve the experiences of those on campus and have positive environmental effects. The total CO2 emissions produced by the San Joaquin Delta Community College District are predicted to be reduced by the equivalent of the yearly electrical use of 1,655 homes and the consumption of 957,317 gallons of gas.
“The recommendation comes from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District that we reduce our carbon footprint by replacement of older equipment newer equipment that doesn’t produce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) which cause air pollution,” said Pinola.