Ronnie Lowe
Stationary Engineer 1 (SE1)
Q: How long have you been with Metro DES?
A: Like many of my co-workers, I started at the thermal plant and stayed on when we transitioned to Metro DES. I came on board at the thermal plant in 1974, when it was still under construction, so I’ve been here for 36 years in all.
Q: What path led you to where you are? What did you do before joining DES that prepared you for a career in this industry?
A: I always liked to work with my hands, and my first real job was at TSU as an air conditioner maintenance technician. After that, I went to work at Firestone, where I also maintained air conditioning systems. While I was there, the Interstate 24 Bridge was being remodeled, so I had to drive by the thermal plant every day while it was being built because I crossed the river using the Shelby Avenue Bridge. Around the same time, a co worker tipped me off to an opening at the thermal plant for a chill plant operator.
Q: For those who don’t know what an SE1’s role is, please tell us a little bit about your day-to-day responsibilities.
A: As a stationary engineer, I’m responsible for monitoring the chilled water and steam systems. The software we use at DES is very reliable, but sometimes I have to override the system due to the outside temperature. The outside temperature in October, for instance, can vary a lot. Sometimes I have to increase the amount of steam or chilled water based on the actual outside temperature, rather than what we’ve projected it to be.
Q: What was the biggest challenge for DES after the flood? Is everything back to normal, or are you guys still tackling projects to get the system back on track?
A: Our biggest challenge was waiting for the water to drain out of the tunnels that make up our system. When there’s water in our system, we can still service customers with chilled water, but can’t pump steam through the tunnels because it causes stress on the expansion joints. We also had no electricity in the tunnels, which is necessary for lights and ventilation. Employees’ safety became our first priority, but we were still able to restore service quickly.
Q: What’s the most vital thing DES customers can do to conserve energy and cut costs as we transition into cooler weather? What’s the most detrimental thing customers can do at this time of year that could increase energy consumption and costs?
A: For customers that have a machine room located close to an outside wall, I’d recommend adding vents to pull in outside air. If the outside temperature is 65 degrees, for instance, the vents would allow the air handler to pull in the outside air to help cool the building. This would cut down on the amount of chilled water needed to keep the building cool. It’s basically the same concept as opening windows in your home in the spring and fall, but on a much larger scale. If the machine room is in the middle of the building, it may not make sense from a costs perspective to run vents to the outside wall, but it’s worth looking into.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about your job?
A: I’ve always liked to take things apart and put them back together. Working on air conditioners was a challenge to learn, and working with steam has been equally challenging, which makes the job fun. I also work with some really great people, and that’s one of my favorite things about the job as well.
Q: If you weren’t a stationary engineer at Metro DES, what would you like to do?
A: I’d probably be doing something with air conditioning. That’s my first passion.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not on the job?
A: I love to hunt and fish. Because of the way our shifts are set up, I’m off for a week at a time, so it’s a good situation for someone like me who enjoys the outdoors.