College Planning & Management
June 1, 2006
Pg. 32(6) Vol. 9 No. 6 ISSN: 1523-0910
The future of saving energy: energy bills got you down?
Looking for answers and alternatives?
College Planning & Management explores solutions from building automation to
alternative energy sources
Milshtein, Amy
Much like the weather, everybody is talking about the price of fuel. Unlike the weather, this time people are
doing something about it.Colleges are taking fuel-saving steps, building more efficient structures and
infrastructures, and looking for alternative energy sources. Can any of these strategies help you face down
your energy costs now and in the future?
Just how much energy prices have increased can boggle the mind. "Our energy expenses are up, just like
everyone else's," says W.S. (Lanny) Joyce, a manager in the Department of Utilities and Energy
Management for Cornell University in Ithaca. NY. "The cost of fueling our heating plant doubled over the last
three years, and in the northeast,electricity costs shot up 20 to 25 percent over the same time period."
Kristy Elmore, director of Higher Education Sales, Johnson Controls, Inc., reports even more astounding
numbers. "Ashland University inOhio has done a great job of energy management in the past, yet theyare
reporting utility costs up 60 percent in the last 12 months."
Even schools that have a fixed energy contract, like the University of Missouri-Columbia, are bracing for the
future. "We are projecting a flat energy budget for the next year because our coal contract islocked in until
2007," tells Paul Hoemann, director of Energy Management for the campus facilities department. "After that,
I expect a 20-percent jump in coal price, which translates to a six-percent increase in cost to the campus."
Predicting energy use proves to be a dicey endeavor at best. "Weather plays such a huge role in
consumption that it's hard to get a good year-to-year use comparison," explains Steven Heinz, president of
Good Steward Software LLC. With weather in what appears to be an extreme cycle and fuel prices going
nowhere but up, "energy awareness is at a high," continues Heinz. "What once seemed like non-economical
conservation strategies are looking better and better."
Elmore agrees. "People are now looking for 'high-hanging fruit,'" she says. "Schools traditionally had a 'run
to fail' model; now it's sexy to look at infrastructure--like the central utility plant--and talk renovation."
Robo-Buildings
One way schools have been saving energy in the past is with automated, or intelligent, buildings. Putting
lighting and HVAC on computer-based direct digital control still leaves a level of comfort adjustments to the
occupants, but ensures (theoretically) that those levels are attained using the least amount of power. "We let
users set temperatures between 70 and 76 degrees, and then the system either cools or heats as
appropriate," explains Paul Coleman, manager of Energy Conservation, University of Missouri-Columbia.
Activated by motion sensors, intelligent interiors can keep occupants at comfortable temperature and lighting
levels and then ramp downwhen no one is around. Even hallways are getting the automated treatment.
"Corridors are a big part of a school's lighting load," says Coleman, pointing to their generous size to handle
throngs of students. "To maximize efficiency and still allow for safety, the halls are set at a constant fivepercent lighting level and immediately ramp up fully when a person enters the space. This is just as secure
as the old method of leaving every fourth or eighth light on but more energy-efficient."
Residence halls and classrooms use plenty of power, but no space eats as much energy as labs. "Our
research facilities use one-half of our total energy output," quotes Joyce. Part of that reason is labs need lots
of air changes with 100 percent outside air. In comparison, large auditoriums or conference rooms have
carbon dioxide monitors that allow air to safely and economically re-circulate within a given C[O.sub.2] set
point. Labs need outside air and "fresh air changes arehuge money," continues Joyce.
Automation helps rein in those costs. "A lab may need six air changes per minute when occupied. However,
if no one is around, three or four changes a minute may be enough," says Coleman. Fume hoods with
proximity sensors ensure that researchers are safe while working. Whenthey step away, the hoods vent
slower to save energy.
While automation allows for greater energy-use control, facility managers should not rest on their electronic
laurels just yet. All that automation generates a huge amount of data that can be hard to track and
understand. "We have 150 major buildings on campus with five toseven air handlers each and 50 to 70
zones per hander," says Joyce. "Optimizing all of that data can be daunting."
Also, because a zone is set at a certain temperature, a breakdown can be expensive. "We were surprised to
find that we had a building where a large percentage of reheat control valves had failed," recallsJoyce. "As a
result, we were cooling and heating the space simultaneously. That is the bane of every energy managers'
existence."
Even something as innocuous as an open window can cause problems. "About one-third of our buildings still
have operable windows, and they can be energy wasters," reports Hoemann. "As a result, most of ournew
buildings have inoperable windows."
Another Way?
Automated buildings undoubtedly save energy, but that power is still coming from the usual sources. Some
schools, however, are branching out and saying yes to solar, wind and other alternative energies. "There is
great interest in renewable energy today," reports Elmore. For instance, biomass projects let utility plants
burn waste products that are abundant and readably accessible, like corn or chicken droppings, for power.
"The University of South Carolina just installed a biomass project that burns wood chips," says Elmore.
If your school is located next to a 425-ft.-deep glacial body of water and is dedicated to energy conservation,
perhaps you too can pursue lake-source cooling. Cornell, after an arduous process that involved $5 million
in preliminary work and required 18 major permit approvals, now taps the 2.5 trillion gallons of water in
Cayuga Lake to cool their school.
"This project affords us an 87 percent reduction in energy use to cool our buildings," reports Joyce. "Plus,
we now are free from CFC chillers."
A rare technology (only the cities of Toronto and Stockholm possess similar systems), the lake-source
cooling project did not come cheap. The $58-million total cost is two times as high as conventional chilling
systems. However, Cornell is looking at the project with the long term in mind. "It's designed to last 100
years instead of the traditional 30 to 40," reports Joyce. "We expect payback from the systemin 10 to 13
years."
While this may represent an extreme commitment to renewable energysources, what are becoming more
common are the longer payback expectations. "We are seeing more and more schools committing to 20year paybacks instead of the usual five to 10," reports Elmore. She credits this trend to more and more
college financial officers coming from corporate America, where sustainability and life-cycle cost analysis are
more common. "Colleges are looking beyond first costs now," Elmore continues. "They are more willing to
pay more up front for energy-efficient technologies."
And that's sensible resource management.
Lessons learned from recent power outages.
The idea of calling off classes--a day here, a day there--is nevera welcomed occurrence for any
administrator. But in the past two years, educational institution facilities have been particularly hard flit, with
devastating effects on class schedules as well as critical academic and student data.
Dealing with Extremes
2006 has already thrown treacherous snowstorms at many communities, and the oncoming rainy season will
most likely serve up hurricanes,floods and tornadoes. For educational administrators, being preparedmeans
ensuring a constant and uninterruptible source of power to remain up and running.
The power grid has been a large concern over the years, since demand has placed much stress on the
system. An increase in the number ofusers and aging transmission lines has caused frequent "brownouts" in
areas throughout North America. Now that so much of a campus' infrastructure is tied to large computer
networks, it is even more important to ensure a constant flow of supplemental power throughout the
facilities, no matter how long the grid is down.
Knowing Your Generator
Campus facilities managers should understand that a successful backup power system is more than just
generators themselves. High-quality transfer switches and enough fuel are just as critical as the generators.
Transfer switches are the components that transfer the distribution of power from the traditional source to
the generator when the power is interrupted or knocked out entirely. Additionally, generators run on a variety
of fuel, including propane, natural gas or diesel.Most fuel tanks are equipped for 24 to 72 hours.
Despite all the recent attention surrounding the hurricanes and other power outages, many facilities are still
without reliable backup power. This can be dangerous, since most generator suppliers do not have inventory
available for immediate delivery. In fact, for many suppliers, order fulfillment can take up to 36 weeks.
Therefore, you will want to pay special attention to your choice of supplier. You can research more about
generators through the industry association, the Electrical Generating Systems Association (EGSA), located
online at www.egsa.org.
In every part of North America, educational administrators face the possibility of frequent power loss. For
this reason, you must consider an uninterruptible power system centered on backup power generators that
have the capability of providing adequate levels of power forextended periods of time.
Eric Johnston is senior vice president of Americas Generators, a leading supplier of commercial-grade
backup power generators, transferswitches and fuel for educational institutions. For sales information, visit
www.gopower.com.
Energy programs on campus.
Colleges and universities are serious about saving energy. From residence halls to laboratories,
administrative offices and classrooms,Facilities and Maintenance departments work with students, staff
andfaculty as well as their surrounding communities and local, state and federal governments in ongoing
efforts to conserve energy. Includedhere is information on a small sampling of plans and programs.
* The Facilities Planning and Management Department at Iowa State University in Ames, IA, maintains
a Website on the university's energy-saving iniatives. Included are tips for saving energy, an energy-savings
plan, benchmarks and goals, and information on utility servies.Log on to www.fpm.iastate.edu/
utilities/energyefficiency.
* The Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee at Ohio State in Athens, OH, offers a "Green Computing
Guide" with advice on energy conservation at www.facilities.ohiou .edu/greenpc. Also, their Campus
Renewal Program Webpage details how the university is partnering with Cinergy Solutions, an Energy
Service company, to improve the efficiency university facilities. This project will save the university $2.5
million when complete, with savings coming from usage reductions in water, energy, natural gas and
operational costs. For more information,log on to www.facilities. ohiou.edu/cinergysolutions.
* Energy-saving tips for laboratories are offered by Cornell University at www.utilities.cornell
.edu/utl_labtips.html.
* Amherst, MA-based Hampshire College was built as an all electrically heated campus in the early 70s. The
Physical Plant has undertaken numerous projects to improve the college's energy efficiencies and to convert
to natural-gas-fired hydronic heating systems. To date, approximately 60 percent of the campus has been
converted to gas heat. For information on Hampshire College's utilities & energy management efforts, visit
www.hampshire.edu/cms/ index.php?id=148.
* The Physical Plant department at the University of Southern Mississippi details their Energy Management
program
for
both
its
Hattiesburg
and
Gulf
Coast
campuses
at
www.usm.edu/physicalplant/energy.html.Energy-savings tips and ongoing improvement measures are
included onthe Website.
* Ramapo College of Hew Jersey solicits energy-savings ideas on its "Energy Saving" Webpage, along with
providing current information on "watt" the school is doing to save energy. Log on to
http://guide.ramapo.edu/ energysavers.