Allegheny College: Energy performance

Better Buildings Challenge Partners strive to decrease portfolio-wide source energy use intensity (EUI) and to increase the percent improvement compared to a set baseline. Allegheny College's campus consists of more than 30 buildings, more than 20 houses, and 1.4 million square feet. Since 2008, Allegheny College has improved energy performance by 28%. Energy savings have been achieved by implementing lighting retrofits across all properties, HVAC and boiler upgrades, building envelope improvements, adoption of an Energy & Comfort Policy, and a concerted effort to develop a culture of sustainability through an Annual Energy Challenge promoting responsible occupant behavior. Energy consumption during 2020 was significantly lower than a typical year since COVID-19 disruptions resulted in temporary building closures and reduced occupancy for much of the year. 

Looking at the percent improvement in energy performance across all properties can provide insight into how an organization is saving energy. Allegheny has achieved energy performance improvement of greater than 10% at 15 of its properties. There are 3 properties that have experienced an increase in Source EUI. These properties have been targeted for future energy efficiency improvements.

Property-level energy performance metrics, including EUI and percent improvement to date, are critical to track progress over time and identify opportunities for additional energy savings. Allegheny's portfolio consists of properties with a wide range of baseline EUI values, most of which are from 100 to 400 kBtu/sq. ft. The majority of properties have shown energy improvement since 2008. The properties located near or below the 0% axis may present good opportunities for further savings.