Quinnipiac University has made a name for itself not just for excellence in education but for its commitment to sustainability. The Connecticut University has stepped up its game in environmental initiatives, picking up accolades that include the Avangrid Sustainability Achievement Award in 2023.
Energy-saving efforts on the Hamden, Connecticut, campus include high-efficiency lighting, direct-demand hot water heaters and vending-machine controls. The annual energy savings from these efforts could power around 120 homes each year.
Though the achievements have been a collective effort, the initiative that captured the most attention is the university's innovative water heater upgrade at its 185,000-square-foot athletic facility, says John Marquardt, Quinnipiac’s capital project manager.
The M&T Bank Arena is home to the university's NCAA Division 1 women's and men's hockey and basketball teams. It has saved water, energy and time since the university swapped out the building’s aging water heating system, replacing two 1.6-million Btu, 600-gallon hot water storage tanks, with two synchronized water heaters, each rated at 750,000 Btu per hour.
These hot water heaters work together to achieve the target water temperature of 120 degrees, Marquardt says.
"We went from two 80 percent efficient water heaters with 1,200 gallons of storage to 96 percent efficiency with zero hot water storage," he says. "I'm very impressed by the design of these hot water heaters and their efficiency. Not only are they efficient when burning fuel but also when they are cascaded together. They work together to provide a constant temperature."
Since the installation, Quinnipiac University has added seven similar water heaters — five at the townhouse residence halls on its York Hill campus and two at the Mountainview dormitory on its Mount Carmel campus.
Marquardt says he hopes to eventually replace every tank-based water heater system on campus. Three new buildings on the Mount Carmel campus — the Grove dormitory, a business school and an academic building — use the same water heaters.
The M&T Bank Arena project began nearly five years ago when one of the 600-gallon tanks that held hot water failed inspection because it was leaking.
The desire to replace the hot water system led Marquardt on a quest to find a replacement, which was easier said than done. Marquardt says he sought hot water heaters that provided hot water on demand. This type of unit heats water as it flows through the system, eliminating the need for a storage tank and allowing for continuous access to hot water.
Marquardt eventually encountered a salesperson who introduced him to smart, on-demand water heaters.
"I knew immediately that this was the route I wanted to go," he says. "With this system, I could instantly heat up water on a recirc line without the need for hot water storage."
Next, Marquardt worked with an engineer to make sure they sized the units correctly for the athletic complex, which houses offices, locker rooms, club and premium seating, meeting and conference rooms, storage and a weight training facility.
Having worked in the complex for over 15 years, Marquardt says he saw a need to optimize the system's size. Marquardt asked the engineer to size the system for actual demand. The facility has 12 locker rooms — four for basketball and hockey, three for hockey and baseball and two for referees.
"The biggest demand in that building was the showers,” he says. “In all my years, we never had more than two teams in the showers at a time. So, we based the system on actual demand. Optimal water temperature was obtained by using two synchronized water heaters, each rated at 750,000 Btu per hour.
"However, the water heater was a true game changer (in getting a rebate), with the assistance of Power Point Energy, (the university) received a rebate from United Illuminating cutting our costs in half.”
Ronnie Wendt is a freelance writer based in Minocqua, Wisconsin.
Upgrades Improve Sustainability, Efficiency at Quinnipiac University
Water Heater Upgrades Improve Energy Efficiency at Quinnipiac University
