| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.66 |
| Liaison | Amber Saxton |
| Submission Date | Feb. 22, 2024 |
George Mason University
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.78 / 6.00 |
DJ
Spaulding Energy and Utility Manager Facilities Management |
Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 116,473,486 Kilowatt-hours | 397,407.53 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 | 462,895 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 | 240,479 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 168,534 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Degree days, performance year:
| Degree days | |
| Heating degree days | 4,048 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 1,337 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, 2021 | June 30, 2022 |
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 | 76,241,266.58 Kilowatt-hours | 260,135.20 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 | 290,594 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, 2005 | June 30, 2006 |
A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
For the 2024 submission GMU is using FY22 as a performance year for quantitative data; the baseline year was selected as FY05 as their baseline for data accuracy and was the baseline year used in the last STARS submission. Going back, it is the year we have the best data for, and data accuracy is paramount for assessment.
Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Site energy | Source energy | |
| Performance year | 0.10 MMBtu per square foot | 0.18 MMBtu per square foot |
| Baseline year | 0.12 MMBtu per square foot | 0.23 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:
Facilities Energy Mgmt. holds an annual event to encourage all students, staff, and faculty on the Fairfax campus to power down their non-critical devices. The Lights out - Power down! event aims to reduce the university's power load. Mason's Housing and Residence Life provides reminders to residents to turn off, set thermostats, and take shorter showers. Facilities Energy Mgmt. works with students to help with their own individual "Lights Out" program which aims to strategically turn off target non-essential lights on campus.
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
Mason has set recommended temperatures for hot and cold weather and installed wall mounted and ceiling mounted occupancy and vacancy sensors throughout its campus. Mason is standardize laboratory ventilation design levels for different classifications of labs.
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
At George Mason University LED technology has been installed in the majority of the outdoor lighting systems on the Fairfax and Prince William Campuses. The lighting systems include road ways, parking lots, walkways and parking garage lighting systems. Interior LED upgrades are being assessed for areas of high use and visibility to our students, facility, and staff. These areas include hallways, gymnasiums, and common areas.
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
In Exploratory Hall on Mason's Fairfax campus, daylight harvesting systems were used in the labs and the building uses a screen to evenly distribute light into the interior space to reduce heating and cooling needs and loads. Passive solar heating was also incorporated into the design of the new Health and Human Services building.
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:
Since FY2005, Mason has initiated two Energy Performance Savings Contracts with Siemens Industry, Inc. totaling $16.7 million dollars. The 40 energy improvement measures yield $2.5 million dollars in savings annually. Mason recently started a 5-year service contract with Siemens Industry, Inc. to perform retro-commissioning on the highest energy-use intensity buildings.
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 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.