Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 75.14
Liaison Kylee Singh
Submission Date July 10, 2023

STARS v2.2

California Polytechnic State University
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.08 / 6.00 Edgar Palacios
Energy and Sustainability Analyst
Facilities Management and Development
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Site energy use per unit of floor area

Performance year energy consumption

Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
kWh MMBtu
Imported electricity 33,111,463 Kilowatt-hours 112,976.31 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) 11,065,182 Kilowatt-hours 37,754.40 MMBtu

Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
MMBtu
Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy 185,126 MMBtu
Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water 0 MMBtu

Total site energy consumption, performance year:
335,856.71 MMBtu

Performance year building space

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
6,526,706 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 85,034 Square feet
Healthcare space 9,110 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 67,195 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
6,782,189 Gross square feet

Performance year heating and cooling degree days 

Degree days, performance year:
Degree days
Heating degree days 3,726 Degree-Days (°F)
Cooling degree days 184 Degree-Days (°F)

Total degree days, performance year:
3,910 Degree-Days (°F)

Performance period

Start and end dates of the performance year (or 3-year period):
Start date End date
Performance period July 1, 2021 June 30, 2022

Metric used in scoring for Part 1

Total site energy consumption per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
12.67 Btu / GSF / Degree-Day (°F)

Part 2. Reduction in source energy use per unit of floor area

Baseline year energy consumption

STARS 2.2 requires electricity data in kilowatt-hours (kWh). If a baseline has already been established in a previous version of STARS and the institution wishes to continue using it, the electricity data must be re-entered in kWh. To convert existing electricity figures from MMBtu to kWh, simply multiply by 293.07107 MMBtu/kWh.

Electricity use, baseline year (report kWh):
kWh MMBtu
Imported electricity 44,166,205 Kilowatt-hours 150,695.09 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) 250,465 Kilowatt-hours 854.59 MMBtu

Stationary fuels and thermal energy, baseline year (report MMBtu):
MMBtu
Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy 177,306 MMBtu
Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water 0 MMBtu

Total site energy consumption, baseline year:
328,855.68 MMBtu

Baseline year building space

Gross floor area of building space, baseline year:
5,646,619 Gross square feet

Baseline period

Start and end dates of the baseline year (or 3-year period):
Start date End date
Baseline period July 1, 2013 June 30, 2014

A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
The baseline year 2013/14 was adopted to fulfill reporting needs for CSU Sustainability reporting needs and is a year with the most complete data to measure against.

Source energy

Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
3.14

Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
Site energy Source energy
Performance year 0.05 MMBtu per square foot 0.09 MMBtu per square foot
Baseline year 0.06 MMBtu per square foot 0.12 MMBtu per square foot

Metric used in scoring for Part 2

Percentage reduction in total source energy consumption per unit of floor area from baseline:
23.28

Optional Fields 

Documentation to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency:
The Energy, Utilities and Sustainability team works to educate the campus population on energy efficiency in a variety of ways.

Students:
- Engage students during SLO days summer orientation about energy efficient and green living in the dorms.
-Annual dorm energy competitions provide education and awareness around managing temperatures, taking short showers and turning off lights.

Staff/ Faculty:
- Dedicated module as part of new employee orientation to teach basic conservation awareness and whom to contact for issues.

A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
Cal Poly's High Performance Building Policy sets standards including a requirement to exceed Title 24-2019 by 30%, and to exceed the current version of Title 24 by 10%. Cal Poly also requires all new buildings to be built to LEED Gold standards.

https://afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/campus-action/buildings-grounds/docs/high%20performance%20buildings%20policy%202022.pdf

CSU Executive Order 987 governs how campuses utilize utility funding. Cal Poly may not utilize utility funds to cool spaces below 78 degrees or heat them above 68.

A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
In 2021, Cal Poly completed a retrofit of all exterior lighting, including street lights with LEDs. All new construction is being specified with LED lighting. In 2023, the Kennedy Library will be retrofitted to LED lighting, which as the largest building on campus, will provide energy and demand savings.

A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
Cal Poly does not have any geothermal systems, largely due to bedrock sub-surface. Cal Poly has a robust tree canopy, with many trees intentionally planted to reduce summer heat gain.

A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
Cal Poly has 1 co-generation plant on campus, a 250 kW V-12 reciprocal engine in the Poly Canyon Housing complex. This plant generates electricity and provides roughly half the heating needs of the entire complex, including an adjacent swimming pool.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
Cal Poly and CSU procurement policies mandate that ENERGY STAR certified appliances.

Cal Poly is in the middle of scoping what is being called the "DEEP energy project" to retrofit all older buildings with energy efficient lighting, DDC controls, and new air handlers/ coils. With a tentative scope of upwards of $200 million dollars, this should significantly improve the EUI of campus.

Website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The Cal Poly Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability data analyst, Edgar Palacios, completed Part 1 & Part 2; Chad Worth the Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability manager completed the optional fields.

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.