Energy Savings Plan
The university consumes a significant amount of energy during the course of its operations:
| Electricity | $ 7,665,433 | ||
| Steam (for heating) | $ 6,213,761 | ||
| $ 2,388,043 | |||
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Energy efficiency at Iowa State has some inherent challenges:
- Our co-generation facility operates efficiently and provides low utility rates. These low rates make it difficult to justify energy conservation projects that pay for themselves.
- Our utility rates are flat - there are no seasonal, time-of-day, peak demand or power factor components that often apply to energy purchased from private entities.
- Older buildings do not have automated systems that allow us to apply energy conservation strategies equally to all campus constituencies.
- Plant and animal research areas often require more stringent environments than people areas
- Sensitive research instruments, musical instruments, special collections, etc. often require stable environments.
Actions we will be taking:
- Each general university building will have published operating hours.
- We will adjust building summer daytime temperatures to 78 degrees. Systems will be shutdown at night and temperatures may rise up to 10 degrees.
- We will adjust building winter daytime temperatures to 68 degrees. Systems will be shutdown at night and temperatures may lower up to 10 degrees.
- We will move night classes and meetings into night "activity areas" to minimize "open" buildings.
These adjustments are projected to save at least $750,000 annually.
Additional actions we will consider:
- Reduce indoor lighting levels.
- Unplug refrigerated drinking fountains.
- Unplug/remove employee (non-Univ) heaters or require a fee for energy use.
- Unplug/remove employee (non-Univ) refrigerators or require a fee for energy use.
- Unplug/remove employee (non-Univ) coffee pots or requires a fee for energy use.
- Reduce outdoor lighting levels.
Occupant Participation
There are a number of things that can be done by the university community such as powering down un-needed or redundant equipment (i.e. fume hoods, lasers, growth chambers, office equipment, coffee pots). We also need to encourage our staff to shut off lights and to power off computers and office equipment during night and weekend periods.
We will work with departments and building supervisors to assist you in making informed energy decisions. We will begin a PR campaign to communicate to the university community, the things that they can do to make a difference. We will also develop a communication strategy that will provide feedback to the university community regarding energy consumption at the university and the success of our energy conservation efforts.
We estimate that voluntary load reductions could save at least $500,000 annually.
Utility Systems
Utility generation and delivery systems will be evaluated for efficiency to save $250,000.
Utility Services
200 General Services Building
utilities@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-8795