From the back yard of Beef Burger on West Lee Street, one can get a great view of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro's Mighty Steam Plant (constructed in 1924). From the steam plant, heat lines/pipes travel all across campus. Through manholes and steam tunnels, the steam shop maintains all steam and condensate lines once they leave the steam plant. The steam shop also maintain all steam equipment for hot water and building heat (reference). Steam travels to about 62 buildings on campus where it is used for heating, humidification, and to heat water (reference). There is a whole world underground providing energy for UNCG.
We wish more were written about this intriguing building. For example, we would love to know the height of the stack and how it has withstood high winds for 88 years. We'd love to know if the tiles on the main building are from Greensboro's own Pomona tile factory. What is the carbon footprint of the facility? What UNCG building uses the most steam? A retired faculty member remembers taking her laundry there to be cleaned in the 1960's and recalls that linens for the dorms and dining services were laundered there. Is that still done?
Do you have any stories about the building? It seems to us that it would be a great setting for a novel. And, oh, how different it would be to tell someone to meet you in the stacks of the library vs. meeting you in the stack of the steam plant building!
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