| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.87 |
| Liaison | Jessica Bast |
| Submission Date | Jan. 5, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
North Carolina State University
OP-8: Building Energy Consumption
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.38 / 6.00 |
Paul
McConocha Energy Program Director Energy Managament |
Total building energy consumption, all sources (transportation fuels excluded):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total building energy consumption | 1,864,522.26 MMBtu | 1,689,483.04 MMBtu |
Purchased electricity and steam:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Grid-purchased electricity | 652,337.83 MMBtu | 763,760.08 MMBtu |
| District steam/hot water | 0 MMBtu | 0 MMBtu |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 15,144,558 Gross square feet | 9,910,619 Gross square feet |
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year::
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 995,327 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 137,289 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space |
Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F)::
| Degree days (see help icon above) | |
| Heating degree days | 3,484 |
| Cooling degree days | 1,774 |
Source-site ratios::
| Source-Site Ratio (see help icon above) | |
| Grid-purchased electricity | 3.14 |
| District steam/hot water | 1.20 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods)::
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2002 | June 30, 2003 |
A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted:
NC Senate Bill 668 helped with the designation of the energy baseline.
A brief description of any building temperature standards employed by the institution:
The Sustainability Standard Operating Procedures detail temperature standards:
2.4.4 Heating and cooling set points
• Set heating and cooling set points to minimize energy use while
maintaining occupant comfort.
• Set temperatures for occupied space to temperatures that range from 68°F
to 71°F for heating and 72°F to 75°F for cooling.
• Set unoccupied building setback features through the building automation
system to range from 55°F to 60°F for heating and 80°F to 85°F for
cooling.
• Set Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) occupancy
schedules through discussions with Facilities Operations and Facilities
Liaisons. In general, the setback schedule takes effect when the majority
of the building is unoccupied. During setback periods, utilize override push
button applications where available.
• Exceptions to HVAC occupancy schedules include special areas such as
libraries, animal care units or research facilities that require constant or
specific temperatures.
• Facilities Operations evaluates requests for temperature set point and
occupancy schedule exemptions on an individual basis.
• Facilities Operations utilizes the most energy efficient means of supplying
heating or cooling for approved off-hour/holiday requests.
• Use window air conditioners only in areas that lack central cooling or
proper air balance, and operate the units consistent with energy
conservation.
• Report areas that are too cold or too hot to the Facilities Customer Service
Center.
A brief description of any light emitting diode (LED) lighting employed by the institution:
NC State utilizes highly-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) lighting where feasible. From parking decks and new construction to renovations and retrofits, the university is saving energy through this innovative technology. Featured projects include:
At the time of installation, NC State’s Bragaw Residence Hall was the largest installation of LED lights (1,500) at a residence hall in the country.
Wolf Ridge campus apartments feature 4,182 LED lights that save energy and maintenance costs.
LED greenhouse lights use just 35 percent of the energy as traditional lights in a university greenhouse.
Installation of LEDs in parking garages improves both energy efficiency and safety.
A brief description of any occupancy and/or vacancy sensors employed by the institution:
Light, motion, or infrared sensors are regularly used as the best practice approach across the university.
A brief description of any passive solar heating employed by the institution:
NC State has a long history of solar installations on campus from a 75.6 kW system that was the largest of its kind upon completion to a 112-panel solar thermal system that saves the university roughly $11,500 a year. Additionally, the university has been a leader in solar research since the earliest days of the technology. The Solar House was first opened to the public in 1981, and the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State has a focus on solar energy. The university has researched several potential solar energy sites on campus for organizations interested in partnering or donating toward a future solar installation.
There are currently 14 solar-related installations on campus. For more information: https://sustainability.ncsu.edu/campus/energy-water/solar-energy/
A brief description of any ground-source heat pumps employed by the institution:
The Chancellor's residence, The Point, utilizes a geothermal heating and cooling system.
A brief description of any cogeneration technologies employed by the institution:
Cates Utility Plant converts this waste heat to steam, which is used to heat nearby buildings. A 2012 renovation equipped the facility with cogeneration technology, which utilizes two natural gas-fired 5.5 megawatt combustion turbines and two 50,000 pound per hour heat recovery steam generators to help supply energy to 8 million square feet of campus buildings. An interactive online graphic shows how the new facility operates. In addition to energy savings and helping NC State become more sustainable, the facility is also a resource for teaching students about energy efficient technologies. Financed by a $61 million performance contract with Ameresco, Inc., which guarantees energy savings, the facility will pay for itself in energy savings over 17 years — without using any additional state funding.
A brief description of any building recommissioning or retrofit program employed by the institution:
NC State uses retro-commissioning (RCX) to identify operational and maintenance improvements in buildings and to ensure that every mechanical system achieves optimal performance and minimizes operational cost. A campus RCX team evaluates a building’s system and the building as whole to maximize operation through peak performance algorithms. System operation is improved and reduces energy waste by up to 15 percent. A properly implemented RCX project will yield a payback of less than three years.
A brief description of any energy metering and management systems employed by the institution:
Over 700 utility meters are read monthly. The following systems are utilized:
Enterprise Level Control Systems (ELCS) is the Niagara Tridium System provided by Teng (http://www.tridium.com/)
Enterprise Distributed Network Architecture (eDNA) provided by Instep (http://www.instepsoftware.com/edna_services.asp)
A brief description of the institution's program to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
Ultra-low (-86°F) freezers used in research consume vast amounts of energy on campus. Energy Management launched the Ultra-Low (ULT) Freezer Rebate Program in November 2011 to upgrade the university’s climate-controlled laboratory storage by providing cost-share funding to researchers for replacement of old, inefficient freezers with new, energy-efficient equipment.
A brief description of any energy-efficient landscape design initiatives employed by the institution:
Green roofs incorporate a vegetative layer onto a rooftop, resulting in benefits such as reduced energy use, improved stormwater quality and decreased air pollution. NC State green roofs are located at Engineering Building III, JC Raulston Arboretum, James B. Hunt Jr. Library, Talley Student Union and Wolf Ridge Student Apartments.
A brief description of any vending machine sensors, lightless machines, or LED-lit machines employed by the institution:
The above technologies are employed when financially justified by vendors.
A brief description of other energy conservation and efficiency initiatives employed by the institution:
Performance contracts are a performance-based procurement method and financial mechanism for building renewal projects whereby the utility bill savings that result from the installation of new building systems pay for the project’s cost. With an established allowable payback period of 20 years and an aggregate principal amount of $100 million available, a “Guaranteed Energy Savings” performance contract (as defined in NC G.S. 143-64.17 legislation) obligates the contractor, a qualified energy services company, to pay the difference if at any time the savings fall short of the guarantee.
NC State’s first performance contract was a 13-building, $17 million agreement with Schneider Electric. The project has an 11-year payback with an annual savings of roughly $1.7 million. Buildings include: Caldwell Hall, Carmichael Gym, College of Textiles, Cox Hall, Dabney Hall, McKimmon Center, Monteith Research Center, Monteith Parking Garage, Poe Hall, Research I, Structures Lab, Tompkins Hall and Winston Hall
A $61 million contract with Ameresco allows NC State to generate its own power for the first time through the installation of a gas-fed combined heat and power (CHP) system, which should pay for itself in 20 years. This new system at Cates Utility Plant provides 11 megawatts of power to main campus, supplying one-third of main campus demand. The contract also upgrades Yarbrough Utility Plant on campus.
The website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
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.