Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 62.34
Liaison Christie-Joy Hartman
Submission Date Jan. 27, 2022

STARS v2.2

James Madison University
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.34 / 6.00 Avery Smith
Sustainability Analyst
Facilities Engineering and Construction
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Site energy use per unit of floor area

Performance year energy consumption

Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
kWh MMBtu
Imported electricity 112,223,029 Kilowatt-hours 382,904.97 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) 12,895 Kilowatt-hours 44.00 MMBtu

Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
MMBtu
Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy 722,830 MMBtu
Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water 0 MMBtu

Total site energy consumption, performance year:
1,105,778.97 MMBtu

Performance year building space

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
7,467,030 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 45,924 Square feet
Healthcare space 18,105 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 430,396 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
8,025,484 Gross square feet

Performance year heating and cooling degree days 

Degree days, performance year:
Degree days
Heating degree days 4,795 Degree-Days (°F)
Cooling degree days 914 Degree-Days (°F)

Total degree days, performance year:
5,709 Degree-Days (°F)

Performance period

Start and end dates of the performance year (or 3-year period):
Start date End date
Performance period July 1, 2018 June 30, 2019

Metric used in scoring for Part 1

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

Part 2. Reduction in source energy use per unit of floor area

Baseline year energy consumption

STARS 2.2 requires electricity data in kilowatt-hours (kWh). If a baseline has already been established in a previous version of STARS and the institution wishes to continue using it, the electricity data must be re-entered in kWh. To convert existing electricity figures from MMBtu to kWh, simply multiply by 293.07107 MMBtu/kWh.

Electricity use, baseline year (report kWh):
kWh MMBtu
Imported electricity 82,474,009.02 Kilowatt-hours 281,401.32 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) 7,033.71 Kilowatt-hours 24.00 MMBtu

Stationary fuels and thermal energy, baseline year (report MMBtu):
MMBtu
Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy 152,015 MMBtu
Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water 390,802 MMBtu

Total site energy consumption, baseline year:
824,242.32 MMBtu

Baseline year building space

Gross floor area of building space, baseline year:
5,309,728 Gross square feet

Baseline period

Start and end dates of the baseline year (or 3-year period):
Start date End date
Baseline period July 1, 2008 June 30, 2009

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

Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
3

Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
Site energy Source energy
Performance year 0.15 MMBtu per square foot 0.25 MMBtu per square foot
Baseline year 0.16 MMBtu per square foot 0.26 MMBtu per square foot

Metric used in scoring for Part 2

Percentage reduction in total source energy consumption per unit of floor area from baseline:
4.05

Optional Fields 

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:
Wherever and whenever applicable and feasible, the university conserves energy and improves campus energy efficiency. The university aligns its plans, practices, and procedures with the campus environmental stewardship goals and the campus Environmental Stewardship Action Plan. JMU Policy 1704 ( https://www.jmu.edu/JMUpolicy/policies/1704.shtml) outlines procedures for individuals to take to maintain and save energy on campus.

A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
In order to conserve energy, JMU employs several strategies to operate systems efficiently: 1) Scheduling: During unoccupied hours, buildings are placed into standby condition where the HVAC system is effectively turned off. 2) Sensors: A combination of motion, carbon dioxide, and occupancy sensors allow JMU to control the amount of outside air brought into buildings, e.g. by turning off the HVAC system when a student opens the window in a residence hall room. 3) Variable Frequency Drivers: These are also being installed on motors throughout campus allowing motors to operate at a speed proportional to power need.

A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
Beginning in 2011, the university began a widespread effort to retrofit LED lighting across campus as funding became available. A total of approximately 10,000 LED lights have been installed across campus resulting in an estimated reduction in electricity usage of over 2,000,000 kWh per year. Additionally, the university completed a comprehensive Dark Sky Study in 2016 that evaluated over 2000 exterior light fixtures across campus and determined their level of light pollution. The study found that 97% of the fixtures on campus are classified as either Cutoff or Full Cutoff by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). The study provided recommendations for replacing the "worst offender" lights on campus with higher efficient lighting that would reduce their contribution to light pollution.

A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
In the renovation of Wayland Hall, a LEED Certified, Platinum-level building, JMU installed 32 wells as part of a “geothermal” ground source heat exchange system, using a water-to-water heat pump. This system was estimated to save 39% on energy usage in comparison to an average building of that size and use at that time.

A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
JMU Policy 1701 requires that all electric products purchased by JMU meet the US EPA Energy Star certification. JMU’s Building Automation team also performs retro-commissioning by verifying all sensors and controllers related to the HVAC and control system will be able to improve temperature management, outdoor air volume adjustments, and equipment scheduling.

Website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Per STARS guidance, valid data for this credit must be within the three years prior to the anticipated date of submission. All data entered for the performance year is from FY 2018-2019. This year was chosen due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in FY 2019-2020 and FY 2020-2021. Therefore, figures for gross floor area of building space and energy intensive spaces differ from those of PRE-4 which uses FY 2020-2021.

Gross floor area of building space entered for this credit is based on data provided from the energy budget and is based on utility data.

Data for degree days retrieved from Energy Star Portfolio Manager.

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.