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Higher Education
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Finds the Cure for High Energy Bills
Governor’s Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency Winner - 2004
Larger energy bills and smaller budgets are all too common for state universities. In 1998 Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM), a medical school and research facility in Portage County, set out to find a solution for this problem. The remedy they found was House Bill 7 (HB 7) legislation. Established by the State of Ohio in the 1980's, HB 7 helps colleges and universities be more self sufficient and gives them the authority to seek out and contract for facility improvement projects that increase energy efficiency. The energy cost savings generated by these projects are expected to pay for the project in a period not to exceed 10 years.
Improvements to the existing systems included lighting retrofits, building automation system upgrades, a chiller change-out, the addition of a water side economizer and laboratory hood exhaust system modifications. All of these projects were designed to increase comfort and generate energy savings.
Careful planning allowed the College to utilize this program to save on the mechanical construction budget for the new 26,000 square foot conference center. The new chiller was sized to accommodate the additional load also; additional steam piping tied the existing boiler plant to the conference center. This eliminated both the need to purchase separate equipment for the conference center and the need to dedicate space for a new mechanical room.
So did the program perform as expected? These energy conserving measures have exceeded the projected savings by over 25%! Natural gas usage has been reduced over 30,000 MCF. The program reduced electrical usage by nearly 1,000,000 kilowatt-hours and over 5,000 kilowatts.
The decision by the College to take advantage of HB 7 has proved to be a sound decision that provided much needed upgrades to the Building Automation System, Lighting Systems and Mechanical Systems. The program was self-funding and gave the College the opportunity to save on the mechanical portion of the construction budget for the new Conference Center as well.
Successful programs, like NEOUCOM's, serve as examples to other institutions of higher education and research facilities in the private sector that have unusual building requirements. This program illustrates clearly how creative thinking, careful planning, and teamwork can provide significant benefit. Self-funding programs similar to this could be implemented in facilities across Ohio.
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Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Finds the Cure for High Energy Bills
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