Higher Education Energy Management

Davis_Center_-_Must_Credit_J._Alan_Day_Fairfax_Vermont.jpgPhoto by J. Alan Day

Improve Your Bottom Line with Energy Performance

College and University Campuses – with their varied building types and occupancy schedules, diverse building systems and high energy demands – require energy management.  All too often, the facilities staff does not have the time or resources to identify and develop energy efficiency opportunities that will improve building system functionality and save operating costs.   With the many years of hands-on building commissioning work and energy efficiency program evaluations, Cx Associates has the expertise to help you reduce operating costs by identifying, planning and verifying energy efficiency upgrades.

Planning for the Future (Energy Audits and Master Plans)

Running a large and sometimes aging campus is no easy task. When issues like occupant comfort, higher than expected energy bills, or equipment failures occur, it can feel like a game of whack-a-mole just to keep things operational.  Planning and prioritizing equipment upgrades often takes a back seat to other more pressing operational issues.  Cx Associates can provide you with a road map that addresses your biggest pain points first and guides your team to long term operational efficiency.  Energy audits coupled with a clear plan for execution can help your campus improve your ENERGY STAR scores over time and will support you in the pursuit of recognition such as the AASHE Sustainability Awards.

Persistent Benefits, Improved Operations, and Resiliency Through Retrocommissioning (RCx)

Retrocommissioning identifies and implements programming and other adjustments to building systems in order to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the equipment.  Your campus is an amalgamation of buildings and systems that have evolved over time, and requires a schedule of almost continuous system assessment and replacement. Cx Associates takes a holistic approach by studying the disparate systems, sniffing out problem areas, and prioritizing improvements. In addition to realizing energy savings, retrocommissioning extends equipment life by improving operating conditions and addresses building issues such as occupant comfort.

Try Before You Buy (Energy Modeling)

Capital project spending is challenging. Budgets are tight and competition for investment dollars is rightfully tough.  Before committing the budget for an equipment overhaul, energy modeling can help chart the course for the upgrades.  Building energy modeling is a powerful tool used to understand the energy consumption of your facilities.    Cx Associates has developed hundreds of energy models, calibrated to utility and equipment meter data for an accurate picture of how your buildings use energy and what drives building peaks.    Models are a tool that will help you prioritize energy efficiency investments and inform long range planning.

Navigating Utility Incentive Programs

Like most colleges and universities, your campus is likely a big energy consumer which means it contributes significant resources to the pool of money that funds energy efficiency incentive programs in your area.  Recouping those dollars happens in two ways – the incentives you receive from participating and the energy savings you achieve which reduces your total energy bill.  As a facilities director, accessing these dollars will offset the costs for audits, retro-commissioning and new equipment. Cx Associates has a long track record of working with efficiency programs, maximizing their financial support for projects, and calculating and delivering reliable energy savings that you and your utility can count on.  We can serve as your liaison to maximize incentives, simplify paperwork and meet program requirements to streamline the participation process for you.

Get All of the Benefits (Equipment Retrofit)

Replacing existing equipment to achieve energy savings can solve a variety of problems that go well beyond energy benefits.  In a recent study of a university lab building, Cx Associates identified oversized equipment that could not meet the cooling requirements for a data center due to short cycling.  Retrofit of this equipment was cost effective based on energy savings and it will maintain facility conditions within spec.  Equipment retrofits can address a variety of problems by improving comfort, eliminating issues associated with oversizing, increasing control and monitoring capability all while delivering cost effective energy savings for your campus.  Cx Associates will identify the advantages offered by retrofit projects to help you receive funding to keep your facility operating optimally and will design the upgrades to help ensure your retrofit project delivers the promised benefits.

Trust, But Verify (Measurement & Verification, M&V)KatieLookingAtEquipment_-_UVM.jpg

Campuses frequently lack the building level metering necessary to accurately track energy use.  When you invest money in an equipment upgrade, the energy savings are lost in your total energy bill.  Project M&V provides direct feedback on the performance of upgrades so that you can document the return on capital and operational investments in your campus.  By providing meter based evidence of pre/post energy consumption for upgraded systems, you can recognize success and build the case for future projects.  And by integrating permanent metering into your projects you can begin to tune in the picture of energy consumption on your campus.

 

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