2008 Woodie Awards
Energy conservation helping UMass economy
Gary Tarantino, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 12/3/08 Section: News
Four years ago, the University of Massachusetts adopted methods of energy conservation that have helped it save more than $5 million per year. These measures have also cut consumption of steam, electricity, and water, according to Joyce Hatch, vice chancellor for Administration and Finance.
In 2004, the administration borrowed money to finance a ten-year, $42.7 million energy services agreement with Johnson Controls, Inc., which conducted an energy assessment of facilities and recommended a range of energy conservation measures that were guaranteed to save the campus an average of almost $6.3 million annually.
A presentation conducted on Nov. 20 by Vice Chancellor for Administration
and Finance Joyce Hatch, Physical Plant Director Pat Daly, and Craig Ruberti of Environmental Health and Safety to the Faculty Senate conferred a number of campus efforts to promote sustainability and energy conservation.
A total of 53 projects were assembled, which included the installation of $2.6 million electrical generator at the Power Plant and a sewage filter to allow the campus to reuse wastewater. Some 117,000 light bulbs as well as lights ballasts, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures were replaced throughout campus.
According to Pat Daly, the uses of aerial infrared scans were used to help locate leaking steam lines across the University's campus.
Due to the projects, the campus has reduced its consumption of steam by 24 percent, water by 43 percent and electricity by 9 percent since 2002 and, as a whole, the campus's carbon footprint has been reduced by about 23 percent, or about 38, 296 tons of greenhouse gases since 2004, said Hatch.
Projections predict that by next year, the campus carbon footprint reduction should reach 30 percent.
According to Daly, the improvements compiled by Johnson Controls were supposed to be completed in a year, but instead were completed in three years, which is why the guaranteed savings weren't noticed in the first three years of the program.
In 2004, the administration borrowed money to finance a ten-year, $42.7 million energy services agreement with Johnson Controls, Inc., which conducted an energy assessment of facilities and recommended a range of energy conservation measures that were guaranteed to save the campus an average of almost $6.3 million annually.
A presentation conducted on Nov. 20 by Vice Chancellor for Administration
and Finance Joyce Hatch, Physical Plant Director Pat Daly, and Craig Ruberti of Environmental Health and Safety to the Faculty Senate conferred a number of campus efforts to promote sustainability and energy conservation.
A total of 53 projects were assembled, which included the installation of $2.6 million electrical generator at the Power Plant and a sewage filter to allow the campus to reuse wastewater. Some 117,000 light bulbs as well as lights ballasts, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures were replaced throughout campus.
According to Pat Daly, the uses of aerial infrared scans were used to help locate leaking steam lines across the University's campus.
Due to the projects, the campus has reduced its consumption of steam by 24 percent, water by 43 percent and electricity by 9 percent since 2002 and, as a whole, the campus's carbon footprint has been reduced by about 23 percent, or about 38, 296 tons of greenhouse gases since 2004, said Hatch.
Projections predict that by next year, the campus carbon footprint reduction should reach 30 percent.
According to Daly, the improvements compiled by Johnson Controls were supposed to be completed in a year, but instead were completed in three years, which is why the guaranteed savings weren't noticed in the first three years of the program.
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Dr George - CEO
posted 12/03/08 @ 11:16 PM EST
We have 2 technologies that will reduce the carbon footprint even further than what has been achieved. Our fuel device will reduce fuel consumption 10% - 31% and GHG emissions to 96% and cooling reductions from 20% - 41%. (Continued…)
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