Honeywell technology and services will enable RMIT University to create energy and water savings across its Bundoora and Brunswick campuses in Victoria as part of the university’s recently announced Sustainable Urban Precincts Project.
The project is expected to reduce emissions by 52 percent and greenhouse gases by more than 10,000 tonnes each year – equivalent to removing approximately 3,000 vehicles from the road.
Honeywell’s $46-million contract under the project includes 40 energy and water savings projects across 34 buildings. The company will install a tri-generation plant which will use waste heat from electricity production in both heating and cooling, at the Bundoora campus.
Other key improvements include replacing 11,000 light fixtures with energy-savings bulbs and ballasts, installing water flow restrictors, as well as rainwater harvesting technology and a new irrigation system.
“RMIT’s Sustainable Urban Precincts Project is the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere and Honeywell will play a key role in making significant improvements to the facilities’ overall energy efficiency and water usage reduction,” said Wayne Kent, general manager-Pacific for Honeywell Building Solutions.
“While this is a significant project, undertaking the audit of the existing facilities allowed Honeywell to work with RMIT on providing smart upgrades to infrastructure that had reached end of life. As a result, this work will not only boost sustainability, it will help the university modernise its campuses,” he said.
To integrate the various technologies, and help identify opportunities for continued utility savings and comfort improvements, Honeywell will deploy its flagship building management system, Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI). To engage university students in RMIT’s sustainability journey, interactive dashboards linked to EBI will also be installed throughout the campus providing real-time visualisation of energy performance.
“RMIT has worked with Honeywell over the past two years to identify opportunities for energy and water savings,” said Darren McKee, executive director-Property Services, RMIT.
“Honeywell’s breadth of solutions and consultative partner approach led to us selecting the company for this project as we continue on our journey to become a leader in urban sustainability.”
Honeywell will support RMIT’s broader teaching and learning program through the development of learning modules for students in the engineering and property faculties, as well as an annual sustainability award over eight years for an outstanding student. In addition, a Ph.D. student will work alongside Honeywell on the tri-generation project.
The installation of this project will be completed by December 2016 with an eight-year measurement and verification program post project completion.
Honeywell is a global leader in energy-saving technology and services, and has worked with colleges and universities from South Korea to Southern California.
Featuring a diverse array of solutions – biomass-fueled heating plants as well as traditional conservation measures – this work is expected to deliver hundreds of millions in annual utility and operational savings.
By PACE