When less is more
Why Rusk State Hospital is decommissioning its 78 year old boilers and how that will save the hospital $542,356 in annual energy costs
BY LELAND ACKER

The boilers in the Rusk State Hospital power plant (above) will soon be replaced by smaller units which will be placed at each building on the hospital campus (top). The old boilers, which have been used to heat the entire campus, will then be decommissioned. The change will make the heating system at the state hospital more efficient, thus saving more than half of a million dollars annually.

An energy audit held last November has

resulted in major upgrades to the infrastructure at Rusk State Hospital as Health and Human Services (HHSC) is funding the addition of new boilers and inline coils for water heaters. The new boilers and water heaters will replace those currently in operation at Rusk State Hospital's power plant, which will be decommissioned once the new boilers go into operation.

"HHSC is supporting the upgrades," said Ted Debbs, Rusk State Hospital superintendent. "The cost of the equipment will be made back through energy savings."

Kevin Gentry, director of plant operations for Rusk State Hospital, said the energy savings from this project will add up to $542,356 per year.

The replacement of the boilers represents a complete shift in the heating of the state hospital's facilities.

"The boilers at the power plant produce steam which is used for cooking, heating and to produce hot water for the entire hospital," Mr. Gentry said. "Those boilers will be decommissioned. We're replacing them with smaller boilers and water heaters for domestic hot water."

Mr. Gentry explained that the smaller boilers are being installed, along with the new water heaters, at the various buildings on the hospital campus, thus decentralizing the heat source and heating the campus more efficiently.

Mr. Debbs said the new system will be controlled by a central computer system to maximize efficiency.

The boilers being replaced have been in operation since 1929, with most of the infrastructure still functioning as it was designed then.

"I read that back when this was a TDC (Texas Department of Corrections) facility, it was the first facility with electricity," Mr. Gentry said. "The power plant was built in 1929, so the boilers have been in place since then."

Decentralizing the boilers will have a two-fold effect on savings. Mr. Gentry explained that having a smaller boiler for each building will generate heat more efficiently and will also save on manpower costs as the hospital will no longer have to employ someone to monitor the power plant.

"The upgrades are good," Mr. Debbs said. "We're replacing equipment that probably should have been replaced a long time ago."

Mr. Debbs said HHSC looked at the energy costs for all of its facilities, then visited each facility to determine where energy losses were occurring. HHSC turned to an outside group, Tour Andover Controls (TAC), to get recommendations on how to remedy the losses. TAC suggested replacing the boilers.

New boilers have been installed and gas lines will be tested to determine if the lines can handle seven pounds of pressure. Currently those lines carry one pound of pressure. After the tests and installations have been completed, the new boilers will go into operation and the old boilers will be replaced.