Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.56
Liaison Natalie Hayes
Submission Date June 22, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Bentley University
OP-8: Building Energy Consumption

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.76 / 6.00 Natalie Hayes
Associate Director of Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total building energy consumption, all sources (transportation fuels excluded):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total building energy consumption 150,592 MMBtu 148,435.17 MMBtu

Purchased electricity and steam:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Grid-purchased electricity 82,053 MMBtu 93,287.31 MMBtu
District steam/hot water 0 MMBtu 0 MMBtu

Gross floor area of building space::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 1,948,044 Gross square feet 1,850,233 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year::
Floor Area
Laboratory space 3,500 Square feet
Healthcare space 0 Square feet
Other energy intensive space

Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F)::
Degree days (see help icon above)
Heating degree days 6,374
Cooling degree days 1,023

Source-site ratios::
Source-Site Ratio (see help icon above)
Grid-purchased electricity 3.14
District steam/hot water 1.20

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods)::
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2015 June 30, 2016
Baseline Year July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted:

A baseline year of 2008 is used for Bentley's carbon footprint reduction targets. Bentley signed the ACUPCC in 2007 as such 2008 was selected as the baseline.


A brief description of any building temperature standards employed by the institution:

The university enforces a temperature policy which is managed by Facilities Management. All interior spaces will be cooled to 74°F and heated to 68°F. Facilities Management recognizes that temperatures will vary within buildings and every effort is made to stay within 3°F of this range. These temperatures are set by Facilities Management using a centralized building energy control system. Occupants who control their own temperature are asked to adhere to this policy.


A brief description of any light emitting diode (LED) lighting employed by the institution:

Bentley University continues to upgrade interior lighting to LED in stages on campus. Currently Bentley has upgraded lighting to LED fixtures in all outdoor roadways, walkways, and parking garages and in several buildings starting with interior stairways and hallways.


A brief description of any occupancy and/or vacancy sensors employed by the institution:

Bentley uses occupancy sensors for lighting in all areas and for HVAC in some areas. When unoccupied HVAC occupancy sensors relax the heating/cooling set points in the area. Motion sensors for lighting are installed in about 90% of office spaces, and HVAC sensors are installed in about 75% of residence halls and in classroom buildings.


A brief description of any passive solar heating employed by the institution:

The construction of a 3,000 square foot solar thermal wall on the southern external wall of the Dana Athletic Center was completed in September 2009. The solar wall is made of perforated material and is installed several inches from the exterior wall of the building to create an air cavity.
The solar wall, which traps heat from the sun, is hooked up to a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit. When the HVAC unit calls for outdoor air, the air is pulled through the solar wall and is heated in the process. The hot air rises up the air cavity created between the solar wall and the building's exterior wall and enters the HVAC unit. By providing the unit with pre-heated air, less energy is required to warm the air to room temperature.


A brief description of any ground-source heat pumps employed by the institution:

N/A


A brief description of any cogeneration technologies employed by the institution:

N/A


A brief description of any building recommissioning or retrofit program employed by the institution:

Bentley's facilities management team closely monitors the performance of campus buildings and equipment via the EMS. The Energy & Utilities Manager tweaks HVAC and mechanical settings in all buildings to ensure high efficiency performance.


A brief description of any energy metering and management systems employed by the institution:

Electrical sub-meters were installed on buildings in 2008, allowing Bentley to track building-specific electricity consumption.

Bentley currently utilizes two networked building energy management systems (EMS) via a central desktop station in Facilities Management. These systems include WebCTRL, and Tridium. Facilities Managers are able to access these systems to troubleshoot equipment failures and temperature issues, manage building schedules and adjust temperature set-points. Through the EMS, Bentley's Energy Systems Engineer is able to set a building's schedule (similar to a programmable thermostat in your home) so that it is heated and cooled adequately when occupied and so that energy is not wasted heating and cooling areas when unoccupied.

Over the past few years, Bentley has been systematically upgrading EMS controls in order to efficiently oversee the indoor environment and energy consumption throughout campus. Pneumatic systems are nearing the end of their useful life and are being replaced with direct digital controls (DDC), which use low-voltage wiring to control heating, cooling and lighting systems. The use of advanced building controls systems allows for more efficient scheduling and programming, as well as the use of predictive maintenance.


A brief description of the institution's program to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives:

Each summer, one residence hall undergoes major renovations. Renovated suites and apartments are retrofitted with digital HVAC controls, high-efficiency lighting and kitchen appliances.

Bentley has a very low deferred maintenance backlog. Mechanical equipment is cared for to extend useful life. If equipment is determined to be at the end of its useful life or no longer able to perform efficiently, it is replaced with the highest efficiency models on the market.

The Office of Sustainability and Facilities Management convene an Energy Task Force every three weeks which includes representatives from the university's electricity and natural gas utilities. This task force identifies opportunities for energy efficiency projects and ensures follow through.


A brief description of any energy-efficient landscape design initiatives employed by the institution:

Bentley chips its branches and other yard waste on site to reduce GHGs from hauling.


A brief description of any vending machine sensors, lightless machines, or LED-lit machines employed by the institution:

All vending machines on Bentley's campus are EnergyStar certified.


A brief description of other energy conservation and efficiency initiatives employed by the institution:

Facilities Management has historically upgraded lighting in one to two buildings per year, including the installation of occupancy sensors and energy-efficient ballasts and lamps. 99% of Bentley's buildings are equipped with high-efficiency lighting systems using: LEDs, High efficiency T-8 lamps , High efficiency T-5 lamps, and Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Careful monitoring of the Energy Management System by the Energy Manager provides optimal heating and cooling based on occupied hours for each building. Boilers and chillers are replaced with high-efficiency models as necessary. VFDs, ERVs and other high efficiency HVAC equipment is installed across the campus.


The website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Electricity conversion from KWh to MMBTU = (KWH * 3412.14)/1,000,000


Electricity conversion from KWh to MMBTU = (KWH * 3412.14)/1,000,000

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.