Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

July 26, 2002

Energy efforts net big savings

by Debra Gibson
Granted, some university employees may have been slow to warm up to the idea. But one year after campus officials put the heat on energy conservation, Iowa State has corralled a cool million-plus in energy savings for FY 2002. To be exact, $1,437,493 didn't get spent the past fiscal year, thanks to intensive utilities conservation campus-wide.

"When you consider that amount represents more than 9 percent of the university's total utilities budget, you realize that's a significant cut for one year without any additional man-power," said David Miller, director of utilities. "We were optimistic it would happen, but we recognized it was a big challenge."

To pursue the goal of $1.5 million in savings, Miller and his staff devised utilities management plans for more than 100 general university buildings, then met with each facility's occupants to share their recommendations. An energy conservation Web site was created so employees can monitor their building's -- and the general university population's -- conservation success.

"The university community exceeded our expectations in its cooperation," Miller said. "Most people ended up saying they would try it [proposed conservation measures], and if it turned out they couldn't accomplish it, we'd sit down again and figure out what could be done. Most people will agree that saving energy is just the right thing to do."

To establish benchmarks to which buildings' occupants could aspire, Miller and his staff determined each facility's average electricity, steam and chilled water consumption for June for the past three years. In the case of electricity usage, for example, they hoped that buildings' final consumptions the past fiscal year would amount to 91 percent or less of their averages. Utilities staff then tracked the progress on the utilities Web site.

By year's end, occupants of Howe Hall, the Memorial Union, Bessey Hall, the College of Design, Sweeney Hall and Town Engineering collectively saved $401,821 in energy costs, for example. Buildings that used at least 20 percent less electricity this June compared to their June benchmark electric bill included Applied Sciences 1 and 2; Atanasoff, Carver, Davidson, Kildee and Music halls, Food Science and the Lied Recreation Center.

Overall, the university savings in energy consumption included $665,838 in export steam and $780,900 in electricity. Chilled water costs actually exceeded the projected savings goal by $9,245.

An unexpected benefit to the diligent "volt-busting" around campus was the opportunity for Miller and his staff to view all facilities' heating and cooling equipment.

"We did find things that were broken, and had been for a long period of time," he explained. "Right now, we probably have buildings up and tuned the best they have been for some time."

Buoyed by the past year's success, Miller is hopeful the $1.5 million savings can be achieved during FY03 as well. "It's been great to see the hundreds of thousands of dollars our buildings have saved," he said. "There are some real believers out there."