Overall Rating Platinum - expired
Overall Score 85.29
Liaison Tonie Miyamoto
Submission Date March 23, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Colorado State University
OP-8: Building Energy Consumption

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.80 / 6.00 Carol Dollard
Energy Engineer
Facilities Management
"---" 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 1,624,664 MMBtu 1,713,480 MMBtu

Purchased electricity and steam:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Grid-purchased electricity 560,343 MMBtu 551,720.60 MMBtu
District steam/hot water 0 MMBtu 0 MMBtu

Gross floor area of building space::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 10,618,090 Gross square feet 10,097,481 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year::
Floor Area
Laboratory space 1,358,084 Square feet
Healthcare space 242,210 Square feet
Other energy intensive space

Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F)::
Degree days (see help icon above)
Heating degree days 5,939
Cooling degree days 686

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, 2013 June 30, 2014
Baseline Year July 1, 2009 June 30, 2010

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

This is consistent with our Climate Action Plan baseline year and is our default baseline year for all credits unless otherwise stated.


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

CSU has a comprehensive Building Automation System (BAS). The system is a Johnson Controls Metasys system. The BAS has direct control over the HVAC equipment in nearly all campus buildings.


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

CSU has started a major project to convert older outdoor lighting for parking lots and pedestrian walkways to LEDS. Over $100,000 in retrofits were made in the past year. LEDs are also used in emergency exit lighting across campus and lighting in hard to reach places (for example atriums). We have several beta sites where we are testing LED retrofits lamps (as a replacement option for flourescent lighting).


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

Occupancy or vacancy sensors are used in several buildings on campus such as residential halls, bathrooms, hallways, and classrooms.


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

In commercial spaces in our climate, there is typically more cooling than heating demand. Therefore, when we employ passive solar techniques for our buildings it is for daylighting rather than for space heating.


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

None - however, CSU has completed a feasibility study of the Moby Gym complex (over 280,000 GSF including an 8,000 seat basketball arena and a swimming pool). This feasibility study showed that GSHP was a preferred option for this facility when the steam system is removed from this part of campus in the next few years. This project is in the Utility Master Plan is is expected to be implemented in the next 5 years.


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

The 800 kW Steam Turbine at the District Energy plant generates electricity (over 3 million kWh/yr) from energy that was previously lost when the pressure was dropped in the plant from generation pressures to distribution pressures.


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

Facilities Management has a dedicated retroCx engineer on staff. The sucess of the retroCx efforts led by this engineer has led to the approval of another FTE controls technician that will allow the university to pursue retroCx in a larger number of buildings.


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

CSU has a comprehensive Building Automation System (BAS). The system is a Johnson controls Metasys system. The BAS has direct control over the HVAC equipment in most campus buildings.


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

CSU EPP policy encourages the purchase of Energy Star appliances when available. In addition, CSU Facilities has a fund to match Department dollars to replace older refrigerators in break rooms. Add'l efforts are underway to consolidate freezers in research labs (the most recent in the Microbiology building).


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

CSU waters their landscape almost exclusively with raw (untreated) water. Using this less processed resource not only saves the university money, but also reduces energy use associated with water use because no energy or chemicals are used to treat the water.


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

Previously, CSU had vending machines on campus with a technology called Vending Miser. This sensor regulated cooling and lighting of the machine when it is not in use. In the summer of 2011 CSU switched to Energy Star machines. In addition to the added benefits of the Energy Star machines, CSU decided that the lights are generally not needed in most of these machines and they have been removed. These new machines reduce energy use even further than the Vending Misers.

CSU also reduced the total number of machines on campus. The total energy savings from all of these measures (new machines, removed lights, and decreasing the total number of machines) is as follows:

Baseline energy consumption from old vending machines = 688,400 kWh/year
After vending misers = 426,500 kWh/yr
After Energy Star machines = 207,100 kWh/yr
After removing lights = 153,600 kWh/yr

So from beginning to end we reduced energy by 78% from baseline.


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

Through the Energy reserve Fund, CSU commits $500,000 to $1 million/year on energy & water efficiency projects. This project is seeded with university money, but also grows as savings from previous years projects are returned to the fund. This regular source of funding has allowed Facilities to do long term planning and prioritizing of energy & water efficiency projects on campus. In addition, CSU has a Campus Energy Coordinator & a Sustainability Director in Housing and Dining Services. These individuals focus on energy & waster conservation through behavioral change with faculty, staff and students living on 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:
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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.