| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.67 |
| Liaison | Julie Newman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 30, 2021 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.93 / 6.00 |
MIT
Office of Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 146,454,722 Kilowatt-hours | 499,703.51 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 77,576 Kilowatt-hours | 264.69 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 2,490,366 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 | 1,739,308 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 27,560 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 6,500 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Degree days, performance year:
| Degree days | |
| Heating degree days | 5,158 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 1,058 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, 2019 | June 30, 2020 |
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 | 115,576,470 Kilowatt-hours | 394,346.92 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 77,576 Kilowatt-hours | 264.69 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, baseline year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 2,918,333 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, 2013 | June 30, 2014 |
A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
The selection of the FY14 baseline coincided with the release of MIT's Plan for Action on Climate Chage, which was published in October 2015. The Plan calls for reducing campus greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 32% by 2030 from a 2014 baseline. Since the Plan’s publication, Vice President for Research Maria Zuber has underscored that the 32% reduction target is a floor, not a ceiling, and that the campus aspires to carbon neutrality as soon as possible. To achieve or exceed this goal, MIT will need to lower annual GHG emissions to a yearly level of 145,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) or less by 2030. MIT’s reduction must also accommodate a projected estimate of 10 percent growth in campus energy use during this timeframe.
Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Site energy | Source energy | |
| Performance year | 0.25 MMBtu per square foot | 0.33 MMBtu per square foot |
| Baseline year | 0.27 MMBtu per square foot | 0.34 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 MIT Sustainable Workplace Certification Program is meant to drive a sustainable transformation across the campus workplace culture at MIT. The program is designed to empower staff, faculty, and student workers to take a leadership role in implementing strategies and practices that will make their workplace a healthy, resource-efficient, proactive steward of the Institute and our planet. Workplaces can achieve certification based on the score they receive on a checklist of sustainability criteria.
At MIT, we host over 10,000 events per year. The many choices we make across campus as we plan each one of these events add up to our campus’ event footprint. Our events have a cumulative impact on the health of the community, the local economy, and the natural environment. This Certification will help guide planners toward making smart choices about food, energy, transportation, and materials when planning an event. Help the Office of Sustainability (MITOS) pilot the first version of this tool and take a leadership role in shaping the future of sustainability at MIT.
The aim of the Sustainable Events Certification is to:
Empower staff, faculty, and student event planners to take a leadership role in catalyzing a sustainable transformation across the event culture at MIT.
Reduce the environmental impact of event planning choices and boost the health and enjoyment of event attendees.
Gain recognition for commitment and become a model for the Institute.
Green Labs Certification
The goal of the Green Labs initiative is to reduce wastefulness of energy and resources in MIT labs and to promote innovative ways to manage resources in the most efficient way.
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
The MIT Sustainable Design Standards are based on LEED v.4 and require a minimum of Gold Certification for all new construction and major renovation projects. The MIT Design Standards include strategies for controls to optimize energy efficiency, including temperature set points for each space type and specifications for occupancy and vacancy sensors.
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
MIT and Eversource Energy have an ongoing and long standing relationship to endeavor toward energy savings through a program called Efficiency Forward. Eversource provides incentives to enable MIT to make large purchases for energy efficient equipment, including efficient lighting fixtures and controls. To date, MIT has completed over 130 lighting upgrade projects covering approximately 4 million square feet of the campus, and has saved over 21,500,000 kWh/year from lighting projects alone.
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
MIT has produced its own power through cogeneration since 1995, using a 21-megawatt natural gas turbine. Compared with the option of purchasing all of its electricity from the grid and generating steam using natural gas boilers, cogeneration enables MIT to reduce emissions, conserve energy, and operate more efficiently at a reduced cost. Cogeneration is a key component of MIT’s Plan for Action on Climate Change, which outlines the commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions at least 32% by 2030. MIT is currently updating its cogeneration system to increase efficiency and enhance campus resiliency. The new turbines are projected to be in service by 2020.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
The MIT Sustainable Design Standards are based on LEED v.4 and require a minimum of Gold Certification for all new construction and major renovation projects. The MIT Design Standards encourage selection of energy-efficient equipment, systems and appliances in support of energy use reduction strategies for all projects. In addition, MIT and Eversource Energy have an ongoing and long standing relationship to endeavor toward energy savings through a program called Efficiency Forward. The next agreement period covers FY18-FY20 with reduction goals of 13.5 million kWh and 1.05 million Therms. Through the Efficiency Forward program, Eversource provides incentives to enable MIT to make large purchases for energy efficient equipment such as domestic water booster pump skids, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and efficient lighting fixtures and controls. Also through Efficiency Forward, MIT is incentivized to upgrade and improve other operational efficiencies.
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.