Operations Engineering-Utilities Infrastructure
The University of Florida is served by a variety of utilities that are essential to campus operations. These utilities usually go unnoticed but are an important part of everyday operations. The following identify the various utility systems and their current status on campus.
Gasoline: The University of Florida has its own fleet of 2917 vehicles, operated and supervised by its various departments. These vehicles need fuel, whether it's unleaded or diesel, Physical Plant Division (PPD), Motor Pool department provides this service to campus. For more information please visit Motor Pool's web page.
Heating: Most of the main campus buildings are heated via the central steam loop. Steam is drawn from this loop into the buildings, where it is siphoned off into the AHU's of that building. This in turn allows the heating coils within the AHU to provide ample heating for the buildings during winter. The co-generation plant located on the campus provides all of the steam for heating needs, around 200,000 lbs/hr. Progress Energy operates this facility. Should the co-generation plant be out of service for repair or maintenance, steam can be supplied by two boilers owned by the University, located at Heat Plant #2.
www.progress-energy.com
Electricity: Sixty-nine thousand volts of electrical energy are delivered by Florida Power through grids to three different locations (substations) on or near the University of Florida. Also, 42MW of electricity generated by co-generation plant are distributed to the grids. From these substations, the power is reduced through transformers to 23,000 or 12,000 volts. University of Florida PPD senior electricians distribute this by way of 12 high-voltage breakers through 13 substations located throughout the campus. Approximately 600 miles of high-voltage cable and 0ver 1000 switches are used to ensure our University of Florida customers have reliable power. We are able to perform over 99% of our switching without any customer experiencing a power outage. Progress Energy provides most of the electricity used by the University of Florida. GRU, Gainesville Regional Utilities, provides for a small amount of the University's electrical needs outside main campus.
www.progress-energy.com
Natural Gas: Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) supplies the University of Florida with the natural gas that is used mostly for labs, and operation of the co-generation plant on campus. Co-generation plant uses 36.5 billion BTUs per year of natural gas.
www.gru.com
Cooling: The University of Florida has eight chilled-water producing facilities scattered about campus. All plants are on a central-chiller-plant-management system- a Tracer Summit system by Trane. Detailed reports on all of the chiller plants can be viewed from the station at each plant, as well as at Heat Plant II. These facilities have the ability to provide over 37,000 Tons of chilled water at maximum output. Most of these facilities provide chilled water to a central looping system that distributes the water throughout campus. This water finds its way to the cooling coils of the AHU's on campus. These AHU's then provide sufficient cooling for campus buildings during the hotter months.
Water Supply: This would include the domestic water, also known as potable water. GRU supplies potable water to the University of Florida through sixteen different locations around campus. The University consumes an average of 73,895 Kgal of water per month. This includes water for drinking fountains, labs, and restrooms.
www.gru.com
Irrigation: The University of Florida's grounds is irrigated by sprinkler systems. 98% of the 2,000 acres are irrigated with reclaimed water that is processed by the University of Florida's Water reclamation Facility located on North South Drive.
Sanitary Sewers: University of Florida has its own sanitary collection system and wastewater treatment plant since 1948. The collection system covers three square miles of the main campus and is composed of 25 miles of gravity flow and forced main sewer lines ranging from four inches to 24 inches in diameter, 26 lift stations and 894 manholes.
Storm Sewers: Storm water is collected by an intricate system of storm sewer lines. Most of the storm run-off is then routed to Lake Alice. Some of the water is fed into the Hogtown Creek, this mostly comes from the western side of campus. Water collected from PK Yonge, Veterinary College and other areas south of Archer Road drain into Bivin's Arm.
Metering: The utilities (steam, chilled water, water, and electric) consumption are monitored on a monthly bases by metering.
Communications & Networking: The University of Florida has its own telephone and data communications network. These systems are connected to worldwide networks to allow for a continuing flow of information. Most buildings have both telephone and Ethernet access. For further information, please see the Telecommunications web site.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:
Willie Hill, Maintenance Specialist
Phone: 392-5050 ext. 220
whill@ufl.edu
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