UWindsor Annual Report 2007/2008

Union Gas was so pleased with a pilot project using UWindsor engineering students to find energy savings for its clients that the company extended the funding, and plans to expand the project to other universities.

The utility donated $300,000 to fund the program, as well as providing the equipment infrastructure required to perform the audits and research.

Civil engineering professor Rupp Carriveau said the project – the Union Gas -UWin Energywise Partnership in Research and Education—is a classic win-win-win.

"Union Gas is trying to do more to promote energy conservation, the clients can save money by adopting our recommendations, and it's good for the students who are participating." he said.

The program sends faculty-directed teams of students to visit client facilities armed with the latest instrumentation to assess lighting, heating, general electrical, and combustion efficiency, as well as sensors to detect compressed air leaks and other pressure losses. The team gathers data on the facility for subsequent analysis at the University and delivers a comprehensive technical report to the client, typically within four weeks.

"Each recommendation we make includes a projected payback period, which allows the client to see how soon the initial investment can be recouped," said Dr. Carriveau. In five audits in fall 2007, the team identified a total of $300,000 in potential annual savings.

Master's student Lindsay Miller co-ordinated the team of four undergraduate students. She said the work gave them experience with industrial facility settings and plant management.

"It has also allowed for us to work with equipment that we otherwise have only seen in textbooks," Miller said. "I have also had the chance to go on follow-up visits to the facilities we have audited and have seen first-hand how great an effect this project has on the facility management and operations. Everyone has been very pleased with the students' efforts to identify areas in which the company can save money and many of the suggestions have been implemented."

Carriveau said the benefits of the experience extend beyond handling instruments and analyzing data.

"I see their maturity advance very rapidly in the course of the work. At the beginning, I do all the talking, but by the end of the term, they're running the show," Carriveau added.

UWindsor Engineering has also taken the lead in expanding the program to other schools, suggesting suitable candidates and making initial contacts, and generally acting as an ambassador for Union Gas.