Elon University
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency

During Campus Sustainability Week a competition is held focused on reducing collective energy use on campus. Residential neighborhoods compete with each other to see who can reduce their energy use the most.
This competition happens in the fall semester and lasts for one week. To win the competition, a residential neighborhood must earn the most points by reducing their energy use and attending Campus Sustainability Week events. There is also an individual competition for students, faculty and staff based on event attendance and survey completion. The survey asks students, faculty, and staff to identify opportunities for themselves to reduce their energy consumption, such as unplugging items not in use or washing clothes in cold water. The competition is promoted via social media, flyers, emails, yard signs, word of mouth, and Today at Elon.

Other than residential spaces, all administrative, academic, athletic and dining facilities are scheduled for time of use or occupancy through building automation with set points based on the campus Energy Conservation Policy. During the heating season, non-residential space temperatures are targeted at 69°F and 74°F during the cooling season during occupied hours. Hot Water (HW) & Chilled Water (CHW) system components (valves, pumps and fans) are proportionally controlled based on building occupancy schedules where Energy Management Sensors read: 1. Room return air temperature, humidity, mixed air temperature, supply air temperature; 2. Fan start/stop, fan status, cfm; 3. VFD status (inlet vane damper position); 4. Static pressure; 5. HW & CHW valve position; 6. Damper positions. Additionally, boilers and chillers reset operating temperatures based on outside air temperatures (outside air resets).
Many buildings on campus have motion sensors to control lighting.
Where feasible, the BAS controls for space conditioning are integrated with a space scheduling system to allow spaces to be conditioned (heated/cooled) based on usage (reservations) of the space. This system ensures spaces are comfortable when in use and set to conserve energy when not in use.
The university's web-based control system enables remote access for HVAC and Control technicians to monitor, manipulate, trouble shoot and correct climate control systems to run more energy efficiently as well as improve the comfort of building occupants. At a minimum, energy consumption is monitored on a monthly basis, compared against the previous years, to monitor conservation goals. Using the web-based monitoring/control system and billing, energy consumption trend data is captured and utilized to investigate high-energy consumption (electric & natural gas – primarily) against an established baseline. This trend data can indicate run times of key systems such as pumps, chillers, boilers and other HVAC systems and when coupled with energy consumption analysis, provides useful intelligence that enables the university to manage energy and systems more efficiently.

LED lighting is now the design standard for all interior, exterior, and pole lighting for all new, renovation and retrofit construction. Projects are under review for feasibility for whole building and partial building re-lamping programs.

Four residential buildings, a dining hall and one academic building have solar thermal panels for water heating.
There is a geothermal heat pump system for heating and cooling in the Colonnades Neighborhood.

Efficiency evaluations are done for repairs and replacements, such as the boilers, chillers, heat pumps and water heaters.

Elon University does not have a medical school or hospital. At this time other energy intensive spaces have not been identified.