Science & Tech

University Named Winner Of EPA’s National Building Energy-Savings Competition

Texas A&M University’s Utilities & Energy Services placed first nationally in the 2015 “Battle of the Buildings Team Challenge.”
By Lane Stephenson, Texas A&M Marketing & Communications June 17, 2016

ESCO project team
ESCO project team: (from left) Rob Robideau, Bob Henry, Yasuko Sakurai, Johnny Smith, Les Williams, Keith Bornmann, and Jacob Richardson

Texas A&M University’s Utilities & Energy Services placed first nationally in the 2015 “Battle of the Buildings Team Challenge” sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the competition including 125 teams across the U.S. and involving more than 6,500 buildings.

Texas A&M’s Energy Services Company (ESCO) Project Team won on the basis of improved energy efficiency in six targeted buildings—improving energy efficiency by 35.5 percent in those facilities while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1,726 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent—resulting in savings of more than $548,900 over the course of a 12-month period.

In addition to the top honors won by the Texas A&M’s ESCO Project Team, Utilities & Energy Services also placed first in two other energy-reduction categories: The Teague Research Center in the “College/University building” category, and Appelt Hall for “Residence Hall/Dormitory building.”

“It’s gratifying to have our energy-efficiency programs judged to be the best in the nation by the EPA, and it’s even more gratifying to know that we are able to cut down on energy costs and redirect those funds to other key areas at the university,” said Texas A&M President Michael K. Young. “This is another great example of our utilities staff finding innovative ways to be more efficient, and I congratulate everyone who had a role in this highly successful endeavor.”

In assessing energy-savings opportunities on Texas A&M’s campus that has more than 20 million square feet of conditioned space, the Utilities & Energy Services team focused on buildings that had the highest energy consumption and the greatest room for improvement. Campus facility managers already do a great job of closely monitoring building energy use, said Jim Riley, executive director for Utilities & Energy Services at Texas A&M, but the competition prompted closer scrutiny which led to new discoveries and even more conservation.

“We are obviously honored to be have won in this national competition sponsored by EPA, but what’s of paramount importance is that our unit is helping conserve energy and thereby saving the university considerable money—funds that can be diverted to academic-related endeavors and other key activities,” stated Riley.

“Although our Utilities & Energy Services Team led the effort to achieve these outstanding results and apply for this distinguished award, we had a lot of help and support for energy conservation from students, faculty, staff, and management to make this achievement possible,” Riley added.

The team completed a full lighting retrofit, installed occupancy sensors, and upgraded the Building Automation System (BAS). The real game-changer for the project was the installation of motion sensors which activated both the lights and the HVAC system, noted Riley. This provides maximum avoidance from an energy standpoint while providing around-the-clock availability of the space. The next best improvement, he said, was installing a modern, fully digital building automation system to closely manage the HVAC system.

After the upgrades were completed, Utilities & Energy Services appointed a full-time team that worked closely with the building occupants to preserve comfort while conserving energy. UES energy stewards collaborated with facility occupants to follow campus temperature standards and raise awareness about the importance of sustainable practices.

The EPA’s 6th annual ENERGY STAR National Building Competition for 2015 involved more than 6,500 buildings and 125 teams, with each entry consisting of five or more diverse buildings, including retail store, university buildings and animal shelters—with the teams battling to reduce energy and water consumption. During the year-long competition, the teams vied to eliminate excess energy and water usage through improvements in efficiency, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and overall monetary savings. EPA officials said competitors made strides in energy and water efficiency through a variety of savings strategies, including implementing behavioral changes, upgrading inefficient equipment, and optimizing mechanical systems.

Media contact: tamunews@tamu.edu.

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