Herbert: Conserving energy is priority

Herbert

As director of Central Utilities, Tracy Herbert oversees many of the energy conservation efforts that take place in University buildings, laboratories, classrooms, offices, and living spaces. Given this winter's historically high energy costs--and the associated impact on University budgets--
issues surrounding energy conservation have sparked renewed interest.

What is the University doing to conserve energy?

The University has aggressively pursued energy conservation over the years and we are currently reviewing our policies and operating systems to look for more savings.

Energy management comes in two main forms: There are numerous ways to control the consumption of energy through proper design and retrofitting, including high-efficiency mechanical systems, low energy use appliances and lighting, better insulation of piping, and the proper control of those systems.

But people's behavior also is a factor. Lowering room temperatures during the winter, or setting room temperatures higher during the summer, lowering the thermostat at night, varying the number of air changes for a room, and even changing work hours to take advantage of lower electrical prices and evening cooling--all can have a significant impact.

Can you offer a sense of how Rochester's efforts are working?

We recently asked two performance contractors to assess our buildings and give us a proposal for any projects they could find that had short-term paybacks. They couldn't find any projects that would repay the investment in less than 7 to 10 years. So, I feel good that we have identified most of the major projects.

But several teams within Facilities and Services have been established to look more deeply into our operations, and their work has led to cost savings through night temperature setbacks, better controls on steam and chilled water usage, and identification of buildings that may be energy guzzlers.

What are the lessons in Rochester's history when it comes to conservation?

As oil prices doubled and electric prices quadrupled in the 1970s and 1980s, the University embarked on an energy conservation program to reduce heating and cooling costs, many of which have provided real cost savings.

For example, the chilled water hydraulic project, which converted the central plant to the primary pump for chilled water allowed us to disconnect dozens of secondary pumps, which reduced electricity consumption by 1 million kilowatt hours a year. New valves on steam radiators were installed on both the River Campus and Medical Center to control temperatures better, and the University purchased the Building Energy Automation Management System (BEAMS), which allows for much closer control of electricity, steam, and chilled water consumption.

BEAMS digitally monitors water, steam, and air temperatures to control the air temperature in our buildings. Programs within the control boards also automatically perform nighttime temperature setbacks and a wide variety of other functions. The added benefit is better control of the working environment in our offices, labs, patient areas, and common areas.

In 1990, the University undertook an aggressive five-year energy management plan involving both the supply and demand of electrical energy. We installed a pair of new transformers at the central utility plant, which saves $200,000 annually. We have saved more than 7 million kilowatt hours annually through a number of low-cost efforts such as replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, replacing inefficient fluorescent bulbs and mechanical ballasts with higher efficiency bulbs and electronic ballasts, and connecting outdoor lighting to the energy management system.

We are reviewing a proposal that promises substantial savings that was submitted to us as part of joint-energy arrangement with Rochester Institute of Technology, Monroe County, and the Rochester District Heating Cooperative. We frequently negotiate with RG&E to obtain the lowest possible rate available in the market place and this practice saves literally millions of dollars over the course of our repetitive annual contracts.

What about conservation at the building level?

We have recently initiated an area-by-area review of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning to optimize energy use. Two of the more significant projects were reestablishing a night setback of air changes and temperature in the Ambulatory Care Facility at Strong Memorial Hospital and establishing a night temperature setback in the administrative areas of the Medical Research Building.

Discussions are under way to establish such settings in other research and administrative areas. We also are reviewing night setbacks in the residence halls and Alumni Gym. Each University area will be examined in detail with the active participation of the occupants to reduce energy use.

Recent studies indicate that one of the fastest growing areas of electricity use is individual workspaces. Computers, monitors, speakers, printers, fax machines, and copiers are now commonplace throughout the University, including student rooms. Just turning off these items at night can save as much as $20 a year for each workstation. Multiply that by 15,000 to 20,000 workstations and there are significant savings.

How does energy conservation affect plans for new buildings or renovations?

Energy efficient mechanical and electrical devices are included in all renovations or new construction. These savings are hard to capture because the renovation or new construction results in more comfort cooling or heating with a higher number of air changes.

For example, the new Medical Research Building doesn't recirculate any air in the laboratories and the air changes 14 times every hour. Older research laboratories use a mixture of fresh and recirculated air with approximately 6 air changes each hour.

Each air change is heated or cooled to the correct temperature, moves through the lab, and then exits the building. These increases are a result of changing building codes that mandate better air quality. The occupants are much more comfortable but there generally aren't any energy savings.

Anything else?

We have done quite a lot over the years to reduce the impact of energy increases, but we all have to be vigilant. Without constant attention, our costs to heat, cool, and light the University would be significantly higher. The next time you leave your office, make sure you turn off your computer and monitor, shut the window, and turn off the light.

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