Energy conservation techniques help lower campus average utilities cost

By Laura Pope, News Writing Student

How a building is constructed can save money for the college, said J.B. Messer, Facilities Management director.

Because of more energy efficient designs, the college has added 13 percent more square footage in the past eight months, yet the cost of heating and cooling has decreased by more than $30,000 in comparison to February 2008, Messer said.

He said the Health Professionals Building and the Visual and Performing Arts Center have saved on utilities compared to past building additions.

Messer said the conservation is due to energy efficient roofing systems, mechanical and electrical equipment, lighting systems and, most importantly, a full implementation automation system.

The full implementation automation system allows one portion of a building to be heated or cooled without having to heat or cool the entire structure, he said.

This system helps centralize the specific region of the school that needs special attention to help save in the other areas, even in that same building.

Instead of each building having its own heating and air conditioning systems, it all comes from the super-efficient central unit, which averages $1.69 per square foot annually to heat and cool campus buildings, Messer said.

He said the cost is half that for the new structures.

“The Health Professionals Building is averaging 80 cents per square foot and the Visual Performing Arts Center is averaging 70 cents per square foot,” Messer said.

The addition of the two new buildings using the central system has lowered the average cost of utilities at the school.

The biggest advantage of the recent addition is that the campus average cost of utilities per square foot has been declining as the cost of utilities has been increasing, Messer said.

For example, the utility bill for February was the lowest out of any other month thus far with the new additions.