We are responsible for the safe and efficient operation of uOttawa’s power plant and its related equipment, which provides heating, ventilation, domestic hot water, compressed air, and refrigeration throughout the campus and its facilities.

Chief Operating Engineer, Power Plant : André Forget - 613-562-5800 Ext 6585

• Ensure the preventative and corrective maintenance of uOttawa's power plant.
• Operate the plant’s central monitoring system, generators, and heating and cooling systems.
• Ensure a suitable air quality and comfortable ambient environment in campus facilities.
• Manage and reduce the campus’ energy consumption.
• Monitor under 30 000 control points and alarms and take corrective action when required.
• Investigate all fire alarms and assist the fire department with fire alarm panels.
• Monitor lab equipment and fume hoods.
• Monitor and perform routine checks on equipment at the sports complex, pool and other locations, including the skating rinks and Lees dome.
• Perform water treatment tests and treat as needed.

To cool an area as large as a University campus, we use a system called “chilled water”, an alternative to traditional air conditioning. In this system, cold water is circulated across the campus and used to “chill” the air inside adjacent pipes and ventilation systems to cool buildings down.

A similar system using hot water is used to heat the campus.

We’ve also configured the chilled water system to let us vent any excess heat it may have picked up, as it returns from its circuit, into areas that need it – this both saves the University money and reduces our impact on the environment.

• High pressure power plant and its ancillary equipment
• 15 cooling towers
• 3 high pressure water-tube boiler
• 1 high pressure fire-tube boiler
• 3 centrifugal chillers
• 1 absorption chiller
• 3 air compressors
• 1 turbo generator
• 1 condensing economizer