A recent report conducted to assess the efficacy of an electric boiler system installed last year at Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) has highlighted the success of the project on multiple levels.
The measurement and verification (M&V) report, carried out by Lumen and released last week, summarised the energy and carbon emissions savings which were a result of removing the main campus coal boilers and replacing them with an electric boiler system. Completed in July 2024, the boiler project was the largest and most complex piece of work in an overall sustainability plan undertaken by SIT, requiring months of consultation and planning to smoothly transition from one system to the other, keeping the impact on students and staff to a minimum.
The change over from coal-boiler heating was to help SIT achieve their medium-to-long-term sustainability goals, including a reduction in overall carbon emissions, as well as more flexibility and better heat control throughout the Invercargill campus buildings. The Lumen report confirmed that SIT has achieved a 48% site energy-related emissions reduction; its carbon emissions have decreased by 403 tCO2 per year.
The report showed that SIT’s coal consumption for heating was now nil, and while electricity consumption for the site increased due to the new electric boilers, in numbers, this equated to coal consumption of 1,495MWh/year, which has been replaced by a more efficient 1,089 MWh/year of electricity.
The report stated the decarbonisation project has been successful for SIT, both in operational reliability and flexibility, and providing savings in expenditure. Key benefits were: Thermal storage enables boilers to operate outside peak periods, significantly lowering network charges and electricity energy costs. Added to this, there was no increased electricity demand during grid congestion periods, providing benefits beyond the site to the electricity distribution company.
Due to the improved operational reliability and flexibility of the new system, boilers can be switched on and off as needed during unexpected cold snaps in the non-heating season, allowing for better alignment with SIT’s actual heating demands and ensuring energy efficiency by providing heating only when necessary.
And the project delivered significant environmental benefits: reducing carbon emissions, the elimination of ash removal and fuel delivery by truck, further contributing to SIT’s decarbonisation goals.
At the same time as the boiler project, SIT implemented further upgrades to improve its overall energy performance, including heat pumps in Hansen Hall and some block offices, as well as comprehensive double glazing. The report noted that Hansen Hall’s heating had improved the comfort for occupants, now providing cooling in addition to heating, and as a bonus, it could also be utilised at weekends, maximising comfort for building occupants.
SIT Operations Lead, Daryl Haggerty was very pleased with the report findings, especially the resulting savings in emissions and in dollars. At the time of the boiler’s official opening (July 2024) the changes were predicted to bring about a 44% reduction in SIT’s carbon emissions; having achieved better than expected made all the work and planning worthwhile, he said.
“I’m particularly pleased that the project also aligns two of SIT’s Core Values from our 2025 - 2026 strategy: ‘Champion Success’ - we celebrate our successes and share best practice, and ‘Be Safe’ - by creating a healthier environment for our people, we are meeting the wellbeing goals in our health and safety plan.”