Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.69
Liaison Deborah Steinberg
Submission Date Feb. 7, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Carnegie Mellon University
OP-5: Building Energy Consumption

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.44 / 6.00 Martin Altschul
Director of Strategic Facilities Initiatives of FMCS
Facilities Management Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total building energy consumption:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Grid-purchased electricity 448,814.40 MMBtu 331,877 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site renewables 41.17 MMBtu 0 MMBtu
District steam/hot water (sourced from offsite) 421,806 MMBtu 349,384 MMBtu
Energy from all other sources (e.g., natural gas, fuel oil, propane/LPG, district chilled water, coal/coke, biomass) 83,742 MMBtu 45,055 MMBtu
Total 954,403.57 MMBtu 726,316 MMBtu

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018
Baseline Year July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005

A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):

FY 2005 was selected to be consistent with earlier STARS reporting Baseline year. However, the building gross floor area was re-adjusted using performance year methodology. It should be noted that in 2018 CMU revised its approach to calculating square footage. Historically, CMU included in its square footage rented floor area for which we paid utility bills. We also used to calculate square footage using the the area the federal government calls “Net Usable Area." In an effort to standardize our approach to square footage reporting for various campus reports, we now include only the floor area of the buildings we own. We also have shifted to a gross square footage approach,(similar for USGBC and for AASHE).


Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area of building space 6,240,096 Gross square feet 5,391,617 Gross square feet

Source-site ratio for grid-purchased electricity:
3.14

Total building energy consumption per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Site energy 0.15 MMBtu per square foot 0.13 MMBtu per square foot
Source energy 0.32 MMBtu per square foot 0.28 MMBtu per square foot

Percentage reduction in total building energy consumption (source energy) per unit of floor area from baseline:
0

Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F / 18 °C):
Degree days (see help icon above)
Heating degree days 5,468 Degree-Days (°F)
Cooling degree days 1,252 Degree-Days (°F)

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 600,357 Square feet
Healthcare space 3,857 Square feet
Other energy intensive space

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
8,121,706 Gross square feet

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

Documentation (e.g. spreadsheet or utility records) to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency (e.g. outreach and education efforts):
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A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution (e.g. building temperature standards, occupancy and vacancy sensors):

Building Temperatures are determined so as to meet occupant requirements for asset preservation, experimental requirements and personal productivity. Occupancy sensors
are used fairly broadly across the university to control lighting and to control ventilation rates in newer construction.


A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:

Currently 20% of all outdoor lighting and 18% of indoor lighting uses LED sources.
During the performance year, approximately 100% of new or replacement lighting installations were LED.
In addition, 98% of incandescent bulbs had been replaced by CFL or other energy efficient technology.


A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:

None


A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution, e.g. combined heat and power (CHP):

Carnegie Mellon University does not currently deploy any co-generation technologies. However, cogeneration is being actively studied for potential installation in 2022-23.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives (e.g. building re-commissioning or retrofit programs):

Recommissioning was instituted in 9 major buildings in 2015.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.