Case Study: University of Minnesota achieves reliable, efficient campus heating and first-year cost savings with Veolia North America

Veolia Helps University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota engaged Veolia North America to provide Operation and Maintenance (O&M) services for two campus steam heating facilities and to assume O&M of a new 22.8 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant upon commissioning. The Twin Cities campus presented a tough operating environment—extreme cold, a sprawling campus with the medical center, aging equipment (some in place since 1943), outdated piping and instrumentation diagrams, and strict emission standards—requiring improved reliability, efficiency and emissions control.

Veolia North America implemented a strategic O&M program with KPIs for Equipment Availability, System Pressure Maintenance and Plant Maintenance, targeted a 90% on-time completion rate for critical maintenance, upgraded controls (and moved to MAXIMO for tracking), and applied its EH&S program while advising on CHP design. As a result, Veolia met all performance requirements, delivered substantial first-year cost savings, provided reliable energy within 15% of the facilities’ design rate, improved maintenance planning to extend asset life, and shifted the safety culture from reactive to preventive.

The University of Minnesota