| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.19 |
| Liaison | Margaret Bounds |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Connecticut College
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.78 / 6.00 |
Margaret
Bounds Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 6,429,022 Kilowatt-hours | 21,935.82 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 0 Kilowatt-hours | 0 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 164,335.64 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 0 MMBtu |
Total site energy consumption, performance year:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
| Floor area | |
| Laboratory space | 30,148 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 4,252 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Degree days, performance year:
| Degree days | |
| Heating degree days | 4,354 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 841 Degree-Days (°F) |
Total degree days, performance year:
Start and end dates of the performance year (or 3-year period):
| Start date | End date | |
| Performance period | July 1, 2022 | June 30, 2023 |
Total site energy consumption per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
Electricity use, baseline year (report kWh):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 15,903,044 Kilowatt-hours | 54,261.19 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 0 Kilowatt-hours | 0 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, baseline year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 105,057.89 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 0 MMBtu |
Total site energy consumption, baseline year:
Gross floor area of building space, baseline year:
Start and end dates of the baseline year (or 3-year period):
| Start date | End date | |
| Baseline period | July 1, 2016 | June 30, 2017 |
A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
We adopted 2017 as our baseline year for reporting to align with the adoption of our Campus Sustainability Plan. It is also the first year for which we have more comprehensive Scope 3 reporting, so that helps maintain consistency when reporting changes in different types of emissions. This is also the baseline year we are using for OP2.
Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Site energy | Source energy | |
| Performance year | 0.13 MMBtu per square foot | 0.16 MMBtu per square foot |
| Baseline year | 0.11 MMBtu per square foot | 0.18 MMBtu per square foot |
Percentage reduction in total source energy consumption per unit of floor area from baseline:
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 Office of Sustainability has a student team called Energy Builders that has been holding energy use reduction competitions in the residence halls over the past year. They have also hung up posters giving information about energy use reduction and have created a trivia game for students to test their energy knowledge. For faculty and staff, we focus our efforts through a Green Office Certification Program which recommends and rewards specific energy saving habits.
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
The College uses central controls to maintain a temperature of between 68 and 74 degrees during the heating season. Over winter break, the temperature is set-back to 58 degrees in unoccupied spaces.
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
The College has completed major lighting upgrades including in Shain Library, The Plex (6 connected residence halls), Cummings Art Center, 40 classrooms and all outdoor lighting in the period of 2022-2023. The Shain, Cummings and classroom upgrades also included occupancy sensors. Previous upgrades were completed in the Athletic Center, renovated spaces, and "hard to access" spaces like the pool and a performance hall.
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
The College has a geothermal system that provides heating and cooling to New London Hall, one of our science facilities.
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
The College upgraded the kitchen hoods in all dining hall kitchens to variable speed fans.
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:
Data was provided by Facilities Management. Unit conversions were done in an internal tracking sheet using the calculations provided in the Campus Energy Consumption Converter. Degree days were pulled from the EPA Energy Star site: https://portfoliomanager.energystar.gov/pm/degreeDaysCalculator
Our gross square footage decreased because of the sale of several houses that were located on the periphery of our campus.
Data was provided by Facilities Management. Unit conversions were done in an internal tracking sheet using the calculations provided in the Campus Energy Consumption Converter. Degree days were pulled from the EPA Energy Star site: https://portfoliomanager.energystar.gov/pm/degreeDaysCalculator
Our gross square footage decreased because of the sale of several houses that were located on the periphery of our campus.
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.