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Redivivus
Today we pick through the literature for best practice in recycling enterprises in education communities. We have been keeping pace with the evolution of regulations in this domain for over 15 years now. Much like the security zietgeist the number of organizations involved in standards setting and conformance will likely surprise you. It is a cross cutting topic with a growing body of expert agencies claiming some part of the domain.
We will also pick through a few representative legislative proposals. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Art Wall from Recycled Materials 2017 Barbara Rucci
Smart Recycling Machine to collect the wasted Non-woven Fabric Face Mask
*May 10, 2021
We have been keeping pace with the evolution of regulations in this domain for over 15 years now. Hydra-like growth in policy think tanks and standards-developing organizations expanding into this domain will likely surprise you. For example, in no particular order:
College and University Recycling Association
NSF International Joint Committee on Environmental Leadership Standard for Servers
Sustainability Leadership for Photovoltaic Modules
Reconditioned Electrical Equipment
Sustainable Electronics Recycling International
Environmental Protection Agency: Land, Waste, and Cleanup Topics
As in other domains, the private standards system competes with government “influencers” and incumbent proxies who make markets through legislation.
Specific requirements must be met for recycling to be economically feasible and environmentally effective. These include an adequate source of recyclates, a system to extract those recyclates from the waste stream, a nearby factory capable of reprocessing the recyclates, and a potential demand for the recycled products. These last two requirements are often overlooked—without both an industrial market for production using the collected materials and a consumer market for the manufactured goods, recycling is incomplete and in fact only “collection”.
“Not only is it good for recycling stuff, but you also see young and old working together. It connects,” said student Bjorn. @eindhovenlife @summacollege #repaircafe #voicesforrepair #GENERATIONS https://t.co/SlCx0bdTdI
— Mend It, Australia is Karen and Danny Ellis (@MendItAussie) June 4, 2022
Proud to have won two @CambridgeSust Green Impact awards for our environmental efforts. The College won a Platinum award for the 2nd year, plus an award for its mixed waste recycling points.
Well done to Jo and Justine (pictured) who led the recycling station project. pic.twitter.com/zRNbkiuQFK
— Jesus College (@JesusCollegeCam) June 6, 2022
Which Australian beaches are microplastic hot-spots? Research from Macquarie University’s AUSMAP project can help you to find low pollution beaches: https://t.co/JK43XMuAIL #microplastics #AustralianBeaches #plasticpollution @AUSMAP_AU pic.twitter.com/FZDgsAZ0Gz
— Macquarie University (@Macquarie_Uni) January 21, 2022
Electronic Equipment Recycling
The Impact of E-Waste / Student Art Guide
We are observers in the development of a new ANSI accredited electronic equipment recycling standard produced with the leadership of NSF International; a Michigan-based standards developer (founded at the University of Michigan) not far from our own offices and one of the largest in the world.
The electronic recycling space is growing quickly — reaching far upstream the value chain into how electronic equipment is designed in the first place. An overview of the project is available in the link below:
Joint Committee on Environmental Leadership Standard for Servers
A public edition is linked below:
This standard moved swiftly to market under NSF International’s continuous maintenance process. We bring it to the attention of the education facilities industry as a recommendation for lowering #TotalCostofOwnership. Participation as a User interest in American national standards development reduces “wheel reinvention” in which many recycling workgroups unnecessarily start from scratch, eliminates the need to attend costly workshops hosted by trade associations and significantly minimizes destructive competition.
This title is on the standing agenda of our Redivivus colloquium. Since our interest lies primarily with electrotechnology we collaborate with the IEEE Standards Association. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Issue: [14-74], [15-147], [15-148]
Category: Electrical, Telecommunications, Interior
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben
Campus District Energy
University of California Merced Power Plant*
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ASHRAE Standard 90.1 – Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
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Description: Establishes minimum requirements for energy-efficient design of buildings, including district energy systems for heating and cooling, covering system efficiency, controls, and insulation.
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Relevance: Ensures campus energy systems meet energy performance benchmarks and optimize thermal distribution.
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ASME B31.1 – Power Piping
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Description: Governs the design, construction, and maintenance of piping systems for steam, hot water, and other fluids used in district heating systems.
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Relevance: Applies to high-pressure steam and hot water piping in campus district energy systems.
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NFPA 54/ANSI Z223.1 – National Fuel Gas Code
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Description: Provides safety requirements for the installation and operation of fuel gas piping systems, appliances, and venting for gas-fired equipment in district energy plants.
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Relevance: Ensures safe operation of gas-fired boilers or cogeneration systems in campus energy facilities.
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ASHRAE Guideline 0 – The Commissioning Process
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Description: Outlines a systematic process for commissioning building systems, including district energy systems, to ensure they meet design intent and operational requirements.
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Relevance: Critical for verifying that campus heating, cooling, and power systems perform as designed.
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International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
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Description: Sets energy efficiency requirements for building systems, including district energy systems connected to buildings, focusing on reducing energy waste.
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Relevance: Guides energy-efficient design and operation of campus-wide heating and cooling networks.
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NFPA 85 – Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code
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Description: Provides safety standards for the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of boilers and combustion systems used in district energy plants.
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Relevance: Ensures safe operation of large boilers in campus central plants.
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ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), Section I
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Description: Governs the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers used in district energy systems.
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Relevance: Ensures structural integrity and safety of high-pressure boilers in campus energy systems.
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ASHRAE Standard 188 – Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems
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Description: Provides guidelines for managing Legionella risk in water systems, including cooling towers and hot water systems in district energy setups.
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Relevance: Critical for maintaining water quality and preventing health risks in campus cooling and heating systems.
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API Recommended Practice 2000 – Venting Atmospheric and Low-Pressure Storage Tanks
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Description: Offers guidelines for the safe venting of storage tanks used for fuel or other liquids in district energy systems.
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Relevance: Applies to fuel storage for backup generators or boilers in campus energy plants.
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EPA’s Clean Air Act Regulations (40 CFR Part 60 and 63)
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Description: Regulates emissions from boilers, engines, and other combustion equipment in district energy systems to ensure compliance with air quality standards.
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Relevance: Ensures campus energy systems meet federal environmental requirements for emissions control.
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Jurisdiction-Specific Codes: Local building codes, such as those based on the International Building Code (IBC) or state-specific amendments, may apply and should be verified for campus projects.
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Sustainability Guidelines: Guidelines like LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or ASHRAE’s Building Decarbonization resources may be relevant for campuses pursuing sustainability goals.
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Verification: Consult local authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) and campus-specific requirements, as codes may vary by region or institution.
Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code
“Mechanic and Steam Pump” | Lewis W. Hine (1921)
The heating and cooling requirements of K-12 schools, college and university educational, medical research and healthcare delivery campuses are a large market for boiler pressure vessel manufacturers, installers, maintenance personnel and inspectors. The demand for building new, and upgrading existing boilers — either single building boilers, regional boilers or central district energy boilers — presents a large market for professional engineering firms also. A large research university, for example, will have dozens, if not well over 100 boilers that heat and cool square footage in all climates throughout the year. The same boilers provide heating and cooling for data centers, laundry operations, kitchen steam tables in hospitals and dormitories.
The safety rules for these large, complex and frankly, fearsome systems, have been developed by many generations of mechanical engineering professionals in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC). From the BPVC scope statement:
“…The International Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code establishes rules of safety — relating only to pressure integrity — governing the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels, and nuclear power plant components during construction. The objective of the rules is to provide a margin for deterioration in service. Advancements in design and material and the evidence of experience are constantly being added…”
Many state and local governments incorporate the BPVC by reference into public safety regulations and have established boiler safety agencies. Boiler explosions are fairly common, as a simple internet search on the term “school boiler explosion” will reveal. We linked one such incident at the bottom of this page.
University of Michigan Central Heating Plant
The 2023 Edition of the BPVC is the current edition; though the document is divided into many sections that change quickly.
ASME Codes & Standards Electronic Tools
ASME Proposals Available For Public Review
ASME Section IV: Rules for the Construction of Heating Boilers (2019)
Public consultation on changes to the BPVC standard for power boilers closes February 7th.
This is a fairly stable domain at the moment. We direct you elsewhere to emergent topics:
Ghost kitchens gaining steam on college campuses
College: the Next Big Frontier for Ghost Kitchens
Illinois Admin. Code tit. 77, § 890.1220 – Hot Water Supply and Distribution
Design Considerations for Hot Water Plumbing
FREE ACCESS: 2019 ASME Boiler and Pressure Code (Section VI)
Two characteristics of the ASME standards development process are noteworthy:
- Only the proposed changes to the BPVC are published. The context surrounding a given change may be lost or not seen unless access to previous version is available. Knowledgeable experts who contribute to the development of the BPVC usually have a previous version, however. Newcomers to the process may not.
- The BPVC has several breakout committees; owing to its longer history in the US standards system and the gathering pace of complexity in this technology.
We unpack the ASME bibliography primarily during our Mechanical, Plumbing and Energy colloquia; and also during our coverage of large central laundry and food preparation (Kitchens 100) colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting, open to everyone.
Issue: [12-33] [15-4] [15-161] [16-77] [18-4] [19-157]
Category: District Energy, Energy, Mechanical, Kitchens, Hot Water
Contact: Eric Albert, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel
More:
Standards Michigan BPVC Archive
Big Ten & Friends Energy Conference 2023
Standards Michigan Workspace (Requires access credentials from bella@standardsmichigan.com).
School Boiler Maintenance Programs: How Safe Are The Children?
Boiler Explodes at Indiana High School
Engineers at @virginia_tech are boosting heat transfer by prompting bubbles to jump from a heated plate during boiling, potentially increasing power plant efficiency with microstructures: https://t.co/W1gLvhn15q pic.twitter.com/45PNRAEmpB
— ASME.org (@ASMEdotorg) January 30, 2024
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
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