An energy conservation program was implemented throughout February to set back winter thermostat temperatures in as many places as possible across the main campus of the University. To date, majority of spaces on River Campus and in the Medical Center have the temperature setbacks in place.
The goal was to reduce the University’s energy costs by a total of $400,000 for the year: $250,000 in the Medical Center and $150,000 on the River Campus. Contributing to this goal is the savings achieved through the various energy conversation programs such as the temperature setbacks and scheduling of major equipment, as well as the individual efforts from everyone at the University to start making small but important behavioral changes.
The results are in and we have seen drastic reductions in energy costs. Thanks to entire University community, who made small but important behavior changes, we saved a whopping $257,909! This far exceeds our expectation, and we thank everyone for the enormous support. Notably, the School of Medicine and Dentistry saved $132,300, and Hutchison Hall on the River Campus saved $29,830. The overall results can be seen in the chart below:
|
Total Money Saved |
% reduction in electrical usage |
% reduction in steam and hot water usage |
River Campus |
$114,138 |
5 |
13.5 |
Medical Center |
$143,771 |
2 |
20.3 |
With these savings in mind, let’s gear up for spring and summer savings, too. Facilities mechanics will be adjusting thermostats to the summer temperature guideline in the coming months to help reduce the amount of energy used to cool buildings. Additionally, representatives from Facilities will be determining schedules for the shutoff of air handling units, and they’ll need the help of each department to create accurate schedules of building usage. Keep an eye out for more information on this coming in the near future.
Spring and summer will require more help from all of us, too, as we no longer will save money by simply keeping our spaces cooler and using less heat. Though it may not seem like much, doing small things like shutting off your monitor and other electronics to reduce the heat load when you leave the room, will add up to huge savings in the summer months. A great way to learn more about what you can individually do is to take the Go Green Pledge (http://www.rochester.edu/sustainability/pledge/).
Lisa Glover-Henderson, assistant director of Central Utilities, puts it into perspective: “Remember that most of the money we’ve saved so far has come from the sum of individual efforts, not one large piece of equipment being shut off. Even though turning off the lights in one room doesn’t seem like much, when the lights are out in every room it makes a big difference.”
We’d like to thank you once again for your cooperation and support, and please remember that a more energy efficient University of Rochester is a better place not only for us, but for the environment as well.