Dominican University had not completed space heating steam system maintenance or steam trap replacement for many years. Some of the steam traps were original to the 1920 building. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if your steam system has not been maintained in three to five years, 15-30% of steam traps have likely failed.
Steam traps can fail in an open or closed position causing excess steam to escape or system performance issues, both resulting in wasted resources and money.
Through a long standing partnership and history with Dominican Umoversity, DRF identified the need for steam trap replacement. The original proposal and standard rebate capture provided a valuable energy and financial savings for DU. Taking advantage of the limited time double rebate opportunity created an instant ROI.
The Nicor Gas Rebate amount came to $56,700 and the payback period was an instant ROI. The projected annual savings was 15% of space heating costs.
