A call to conserve

Credit: bondidwhat / CC BY NC ND 2.0 "Air conditioners"

The University banded together during the August heat wave to significantly reduce energy consumption. Engineering and Utilities (E&U), a department within University Operations Services (UOS), exchanged a series of emails encouraging schools and departments to carefully monitor, and reduce when possible, their energy use on August 18, which was forecasted to be one of the hottest days of the year. The response was overwhelming. Building and facility managers from FAS, HBS, HRES, HLS, HDS, and others turned off unnecessary lighting, raised room temperatures by a few degrees in certain areas, and incrementally set-back mechanical systems such as air handlers. The results were immediate and impressive. Peak electricity demand for the day was reduced by 3.1 megawatts - enough to power approximately 650 homes, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) dropped by 8.5 metric tons, and $169,000 was saved.

So why isn’t this done all the time? “This was certainly an excellent learning opportunity that will be repeated in the future,” said E&U Manager of Utility Billing and Administration Mary Smith. “Going forward, some methods can be implemented on a regular basis, however others like permanently raising room temperature set points might not be. It’s about finding the right balance between being efficient and practical over the long-term.”

It’s clear this type of collective effort will be critical in helping the University meet its aggressive goal of reducing GHG emissions 30% by the year 2016.