One Student’s Impact to Create Sustainable Energy on Howard’s Campus
CAMPUS | OCT. 30, 2023
Kobe Kegler, senior civil engineering major and military science and computer science double minor from southern Maryland.
By Micah Watkins
Anyone who walks down Bryant St., will notice a myriad of construction workers. What they may not know is that the men and women hard at work are renovating the steam plant that provides power and electricity to many buildings on Howard University's campus.
Efforts to revamp the steam plant are needed to propel Howard toward a future of energy efficiency and sustainability. This initiative entitled the “DC Smart Glass Project” comes after a partnership between ENGIE North America and the university.
Kobe Kegler, a senior civil engineering major, military science and computer science double minor from southern Maryland, is a project management intern for the steam power plant project. After a simple LinkedIn search and a round of interviews, Kegler began working on the project over the summer and has remained an intern into the school year.
Kegler said that to many students, it may seem like the construction workers “have been there for a while”, but progress is being made daily.
“The plant actually is responsible for a majority of the heat that's provided on the main campus. The huge steam pumps that are in the plant actually feed underground a lot of the heat to the buildings. The power plant is pretty much gutted entirely and anything that was kept in there is the stairwells that run along the side, the inside of the building, but everything else was completely removed. All the technology in there is brand new,” Kegler shared.
The Howard University Power Plant was built in 1934 and designed by Albert I. Cassell to serve the needs of the University and Freedman's hospital. Since then, there has always been a rich history of demonstration between the College of Engineering and Architecture and the plant. | Photo courtesy of Park View D.C.
The steam plant renovations began while Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick served as president of the University and is a part of the Howard Forward campaign.
Howard’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Tashni-Ann Dubroy, Ph.D. echoes Kegler stating, “Howard is taking a proactive approach to strategizing and modernizing the University’s aging steam plant. Our partnership with ENGIE, to address one of the campus’ more critical infrastructural risks, will not only move our existing steam plant into the 21st century, but provide a blueprint for other HBCUs in their efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and become more energy efficient.”
As an intern, Kegler is working to provide data that will implement solutions and energy-efficient modifications to the campus. From the “Smart Streetlights Project,” where over 75,000 streetlights are being rehabilitated throughout the city to powering entire buildings, his work is helping to bring changes to the university promptly.
For Kegler, it is most important for students to stay informed about what's happening on and around campus regarding the plant and sustainability.
“It’s impactful. Whether students realize it or not, the plant is responsible for a lot of the steam power that's converted into electricity that a lot of the buildings on campus use to keep us warm during the winter,” Kegler added.
