Energy conservation initiative begins in six campus buildings
A comprehensive energy conservation initiative is under way in six campus buildings that is expected to save the university more than $8 million in utility costs over an 11 year period.
Cassell Coliseum, Jamerson Athletic Center, Hahn Hall-South, Dietrick Hall, and McBryde Hall, as well as the central steam plant, will receive multiple upgrades, including new lighting, HVAC control upgrades, water conservation measures, variable frequency drives, kitchen ventilation upgrades, cooling tower retrofits, building envelope sealing, and steam system repairs. The $5.3 million project is scheduled to be completed by early 2013.
Pepco Energy Services, Inc., an energy service company, completed initial energy audits in the buildings in 2010, has been selected to complete the work.
The new infrastructure should reduce energy consumption by more than 10 percent in the respective buildings and lower carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 4,200 metric tons. Virginia Tech’s Energy and Sustainability Manager Fred Selby also noted an expected annual savings of more than four million kilowatt hours of electricity, more than 28,000 Million Metric British Thermal Units of steam, and more than 1,000 kilo-gallons of water.
“Virginia Tech is pleased to start this initial phase of what hopefully will be a multiphase energy savings performance contracting initiative to help us achieve our climate action commitment objectives,” said Mike Coleman, associate vice president and chief facilities officer.
This approach at reducing the university’s carbon footprint comes as a result of the approval of Virginia Tech’s Climate Action Commitment Resolution and Sustainability Plan.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
