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Energy manager presents UM production and consumption

Joan Kowal energized students about universitys electricity

UMs energy manager explains energy usage at Sustainable TuesdayBy Catherine McGrath

Electricity buzzes through underground power lines on campus while students

trek to class in the unpredictable Maryland weather, but few Terps realize that this

process is not effortless. Buying energy for the university is much more than the orderly

transfer of electrons.

Joan Kowal, the universitys energy manager, knows the details of buying energy

for a large consumer. Kowal presented her complex position as

the universitys primary energy buyer to engineering and

architecture students Tuesday, March 5 in the architecture

building.

The energy use per day at the university constantly varies,

Kowal said. Kowal, however, has become an expert on buying as close to the actual value

as possible.

You dont want too much and sell at a loss, or buy too little at a premium,

Kowal said. You want to cover your risk as much as possible.

Accuracy is key to Kowals position as energy manager. She emphasized that as

energy prices rise, her job becomes even more important.

We are contractually obligated to sell back to [the energy company], Kowal

said. This benefits the distributors because they can resell electricity; it harms the

university because the electricity is sold back for less than it was originally bought.

(more)

You want to cover

your risk as much

as possible. Joan

Kowal, university

energy manager

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McGrath, Energy, p. 2

Super-charged knowledge

If worrying about buying the

correct amount of electricity seems easy,

imagine juggling the diversification of

energy sources. Kowal, who was named

the Clean Energy Champion of 2012,

encouraged the use of both renewable and

nonrenewable resources.

We used to use coal, then oil. Now

we have natural gas, but we still have oil as

a backup, Kowal said. She also pointed out

the importance of solar panels on the Severn building and the upcoming Maryland

offshore wind bill.

Kowal not only has a sensible attitude about energy sources; her most noteworthy

skill is her attention to the seemingly small details of campus energy. She addressed

student concerns on everything from the percent of electricity spent on campus security

monitoring devices to the unpredictable nature of the air conditioning.

(more)

Kowal matches the states 20 percent

renewable energy goals for her campus energypolicy.Source: www.governor.maryland.gov/wind

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McGrath, Energy, p. 3

The air conditioning is mostly affected by the humidity, Kowal said. Maryland is

humid in warmer months, so air conditioning frequently functions more effectively than

necessary, she said. Most students and staff ignore this detail, but quickly curse the cold

and shrug a sweater onto their shoulders. Kowals strength, however, is her in-depth

understanding of the entire energy process.

The university produces more than 60 percent of its energy on site, so Kowal

must monitor production to consumption to resale; she understands the entire energy

process from start to finish.

Kowals position may be an ideal career, but she uses a fair amount of personal

energy just to regulate the campus energy. After her lecture, attendees recognize that the

universitys energy process is not as simple as the flow of electrons taught in PHYS 121.

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Students hope to empower renewable energy

Excitement sparks over diversification of energy sourcesBy Catherine McGrath

Most students know about renewable and nonrenewable energy sources from their

basic science classes. Few students, however, realize that the university strives to

incorporate renewables into its energy policy.

The university uses solar panels on the Severn building and participates in

optional power brownouts in the summer to reduce electricity consumption. In the near

future, the universitys energy manager, Joan Kowal, hopes to access wind energy for the

campus. Kowal gave a lecture Tuesday, March 5 explaining her plans to implement the

governors Sustainable Portfolio goal to integrate several forms of renewable energy by

2022.

Renewable energy is sometimes cheaper than traditional energy sources, Kowal

said. The university can also make money by producing electricity from renewable

energy on campus and selling back to energy companies.

While some students do not support renewable energy and prefer the use of

traditional fossil fuels, many are energized about the possibility of more renewable

energy. Sophomore civil engineering student Bridget Weiler is in favor of diversifying

campus energy.

Its important for everything to be sustainable nowadays, she said. I think our

campus should work towards becoming sustainable, too.

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Sustainable Tuesday lecture on Big EnergyBy Catherine McGrath

Joan Kowal, the universitys energy manager, will present her free and open-to-

public lecture Buying Energy and Natural Gas for a Big User at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday,

March 5 in room 0204 of the Architecture building. Kowal will discuss her role in the

production, consumption and distribution of campus energy. For more information,

contact Christine Hinojosa at 301-405-6286 or at hinojosa@umd.edu.

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