Higher Education

Better Buildings conducted a review of 45 Campus Energy Master Plans, Sustainability Master Plans, and Climate Action Plans developed between 2008-2018 to identify common features and best practices in the higher education sector.

Providing supply and exhaust air to laboratory fume hoods is highly energy intensive, yet many researchers forget to shut the sash after use. To address the confusion, a lab manager at the University of California designed a bold vinyl sticker to attach on the exterior sidewall of a fume hood that uses the ubiquitous traffic light color scheme. The low-cost project led to energy savings and safety benefits.

This document describes how to implement a fume hood sash management campaign.

This presentation illustrates how the University of Colorado optimized laboratory ventilation rates.

This presentation addresses laboratory ventilation flow rates. 

This guide describes procedures to operate ULT freezers efficiently and to improve sample access.

At Allegheny College, yearly student turnover and lack of campus awareness about efficiency prevented sustained energy savings. Through an Annual Energy Challenge, the college reduced campus-wide electricity usage by 10% and raised funds for solar panels.

UC Irvine's integrated “Smart Lab” program improves lab energy efficiency through an array of control and sensor technologies.

Delaware State utilized previously restricted state appropriations to create a revenue-neutral debt structure, allowing for large-scale bond financing of efficiency projects and with current investments expected to yield $24.6 million in savings over 20 years.

Michigan State created an Integrated Energy Planning Model to demystify energy use and associated impacts on utility costs, tuition, and other key metrics to inform campus sustainability decisions.

UVA implemented an internal, cross-functional retro-commissioning (RCx) team with a cost-recovery element like a revolving loan fund; metered savings from one project are used to pay for other projects.

UC Irvine's empirically derived technical and behavioral performance improvement program supports risk-taking and questions status-quo practices to produce exceptional results across the board.

UC Berkeley's Energy Management Initiative (EMI) targets building occupants through building surveys and energy dashboards, and allocates energy cost responsibility to individual campus operating units to achieve savings of $6.5 million in just three years.

Atlanta's Emory University created WaterHub, an innovative on-campus solution designed to treat and reuse up to 400,000 gallons of water per day, decreasing potable water demand by over one-third. In addition to saving money, the WaterHub is creating scientific and educational opportunities on campus.

sustainNU is Northwestern University's comprehensive occupant engagement program that encourages sustainable behavior, builds leadership capacity, and removes barriers to sustainable practices by leveraging certification programs, social media, outreach events, and friendly competition.

Located in a water stressed region, University of California, Irvine saves 61 million gallons of potable water by switching to reclaimed water in their central plant cooling tower. 

Pace University implemented a coordinated energy management system that is anticipated to exceed $7 million in savings within five years. 

Allegheny College's leveraged student-faculty research on the financial benefits of energy-saving options for campus construction and renovations to drive organizational buy-in for energy efficiency projects.

This document provides highlights from Better Buildings Alliance members that have optimized minimum ACR to reduce energy use while maintaining or improving safety – especially cases where the ACR has been reduced below 6 ACH1.

This report summarizes the results of a DOE Better Buildings Alliance field demonstration to show the energy savings possible with high-efficiency equipment.

Randolph Community College, located in North Carolina, purchased an abandoned furniture warehouse next to campus and transformed it into a state-of-the-art energy-efficient learning laboratory for continuing education programs, and a curriculum and corporate training facility for the community. The new energy-efficient laboratory amassed 36% annual energy savings and an annual cost savings of $35,000.

Alleghany College renovated its Richard J. Cook Center for Environmental Science as part of the College's greater efforts to pursue building efficiency and institutional sustainability across campus. Building upgrades including LED lighting, CO₂ monitoring and other improvements are expected to deliver 16% in annual energy savings.

As part of a comprehensive energy reduction initiative, the Luna I Mishoe Science Center – South was selected for a spectrum of upgrades expected to reduce energy use in the building by 35% annually, with annual cost savings estimated at $68,000.

Kentucky Community and Technical College System's energy efficiency upgrades to its Bluegrass Community and Technical College include the installation of high efficiency chillers, T-8 lights, and fans have helped them reach 49% annual energy savings.

Through ongoing updates to the building's air-flow, heating and cooling, lighting, and other systems, Michigan State University's Anthony Hall is expected to achieve $536,000 in annual energy cost savings.

UC Irvine's Smart Labs Initiative has worked to make already energy-efficient buildings even more efficient, and utilizes a process that works on existing labs and new construction. 

The University of Utah's 52,000-square foot Dumke Health Professions Education Building underwent comprehensive improvements to its HVAC system, with new high efficiency boilers and a DDC system installed. The project realized 41% annual energy savings and $57,000 annual cost savings.

The University of Virginia completed a significant initial chiller plant optimization process as well as a lighting retrofit at its Campbell Hall building. Efficiency upgrades made at Campbell Hall are projected to reduce energy consumption by 35% and save $82,000 in annual utility costs.

Erickson Hall, a mixed use classroom and office facility at Michigan State University (MSU), was the pilot project for MSU's commissioning of most major buildings on campus. The facility achieved $307,000 in annual energy cost savings through updates to its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

The HPAC is home to Chesapeake College’s flagship health programs in nursing, radiologic science, emergency medical services, physical therapy, and surgical technology. A solar installation and LED and HVAC upgrades saved this facility 51% in energy use.

The South Campus of the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is one of four campuses located throughout Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Upgrades to this large energy user saw an energy savings of 37% and a cost savings of $184,000.

University of Utah performed HVAC and fume hood mechanical upgrades, combined with new sensor and control technologies to deliver an expected 44% energy savings and $456,000 in cost savings.

Comprehensive HVAC equipment, sensors, and controls upgrades at the University of the South's library in Sewanee, Tennessee lead to 34% energy savings, $32,000 in cost savings, and better humidity control for books and sensitive materials.

Due to the location and student-centric focus, the Student Pavilion was selected to become the first Net Zero Energy building at ASU. The pavilion is expected to achieve 52% energy savings and provides an opportunity to demonstrate and teach Net Zero Energy and Zero Waste practices.

Located on the main campus of Penn State University, the Computer Building is a 2-story computer facility and data center with a partial penthouse and basement. It was selected for energy upgrades due to the known potential savings within the facility, achieving 20% energy savings and over $200,000 in energy costs.

Community College of Allegheny County implemented a network-wide power management system across 4,000 personal computers and the campus data center, realizing annual savings of 74% on energy and $70,000 on costs.

Stevens Institute of Technology issued a green bond to help fund the development of LEED Silver-certified on-campus housing and a multi-purpose center.

Carleton College built three geothermal bore fields totaling 305 wells to replace an aging steam system and provide heat to campus. 

This energy only specification provides a description of required performance characteristics resulting in increased energy savings for ULTs in laboratories.

This toolkit provides cross-sector guidance on establishing a green revolving fund to overcome the common barrier of dedicated funding. A green revolving fund is an internal capital pool that is dedicated to funding energy efficiency, renewable energy, and/or sustainability projects that generate cost savings. A portion of those savings is then used to replenish the fund.