Power Plant ... Power plant sheds new light on campus uly 1986 marked the beginning of operation for Harding University's own Cogeneration Plant . This new system of energy benefited Harding in several ways. Energy costs were expected to be cut by an estimated $180,000 per year and the .energy produced by the plant was used for the University campus while the remaining power was being sold to Arkansas Power and Light Company. The plant ran on natural gas which powered the five main engines. There were also two back-up engines located across the street. These engines also produced steam which had been harnessed to air condition and heat the buildings on campus. Before the plant went under construction there were several alternative, cost cutting systems considered, such as wood-chip or garbage burning. According to Lott R. Tucker, Jr., vice president for finance, Harding chose cogeneration "because of its relatively simple operation and cost effectiveness:' Construction began in October, 1985. Within a quick seven months the plant was completed. The estimated cost of the plant was initially set at $1.9 million. However, the new Cogeneration Plant did not operate smoothly. It had some problems initially. During the spring semester of 1986 construction of the plant required numerous areas of campus to be dug up. This was a major inconvenience for students and faculty alike. Construction crews tore up parking lots and sidewalks, leaving unpassable trenches for students to conquer. Students were often awoken early on Saturday mornings to the sounds of drilling outside their dorm windows, but complaints did not stop there. Once the plant became operational there was a problem with recurring power failures. Plant manager Jerry Freyermerth partly contributed the blackouts as being caused by faults in one of the four sectionalizers. These sectionalizers were used to regulate the flow of electricity to particular buildings and, according to Freyermerth, when one fails it causes a sectionalizer to open and temporarily block out electricity. Tucker feels optimistic about the financial position of the plant although there were some unexpected, added costs. Currently there are no cost figures available. "We expected to have the system perfected over the summer;' said Tucker. "Right now it's just a matter of getting all the bugs out:' It was easy to see that the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages to having the Co-generation Plant. Once students returned to campus for the fall 1986 semester they noticed the trenches were no longer there. Shortly after the school year began, the number of power failures continued to decrease until none occurred. The only signs of any change was a new building, a few new pipes and a more efficient energy system. (ff) - Sharon Kunkle Blowing off steam. Water vapor rises from the power plant all hours of the night. The steam showed that the new building acted as an integral part ofHarding's expanding campus. - photo by Jerry Traughber. Building of the future. The Cogeneration Plant serves as the newest addition to Harding's campus. Fully constructed, the power plant replaced Arkansas Pawer and Light for Harding students. - photo by Jerry Traughber. Power Plant 33
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