| Overall Rating | Reporter |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | |
| Liaison | Megan Curtis-Murphy |
| Submission Date | May 28, 2021 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Northeastern University
OP-5: Building Energy Consumption
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Mark
Bates Energy Analyst Facilities |
Figures needed to determine total building energy consumption:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Grid-purchased electricity | 359,046 MMBtu | 299,757 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site renewables | 0 MMBtu | 0 MMBtu |
| District steam/hot water (sourced from offsite) | 0 MMBtu | 0 MMBtu |
| Energy from all other sources (e.g., natural gas, fuel oil, propane/LPG, district chilled water, coal/coke, biomass) | 576,487 MMBtu | 437,551 MMBtu |
| Total | 935,533 MMBtu | 737,308 MMBtu |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2019 |
| Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
The energy consumption baseline of calendar year 2005 was chosen because the following years saw the university accelerate efforts to reduce energy consumption on campus and devote more resources to sustainable operations.
Gross floor area of building space:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area of building space | 7,839,565 Gross square feet | 5,731,811 Gross square feet |
Source-site ratio for grid-purchased electricity:
Total building energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Site energy | 0.12 MMBtu per square foot | 0.13 MMBtu per square foot |
| Source energy | 0.22 MMBtu per square foot | 0.24 MMBtu per square foot |
Percentage reduction in total building energy consumption (source energy) per unit of floor area from baseline:
Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F / 18 °C):
| Degree days (see help icon above) | |
| Heating degree days | 5,254 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 947 Degree-Days (°F) |
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 1,198,193 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 13,430 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Building energy consumption (site energy) per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
Documentation (e.g. spreadsheet or utility records) 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 (e.g. outreach and education efforts):
The Green Office program allows building occupants to rate their space based on criteria developed by the Office of Sustainability. The university is embarking on updating the Climate Action Plan. The CAP is being structured to engage the entire campus community and promote sustainability throughout the entire campus.
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution (e.g. building temperature standards, occupancy and vacancy sensors):
Occupancy control of HVAC systems has become a standard for new construction and building retrofits to reduce energy consumption in unoccupied labs and offices. Personal temperature control is available in the majority of campus spaces but limited to 68-72 degrees (F).
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
The university is performing a campus-wide replacement of all 2X2, 2X4, and 1X4 fluorescent fixtures on campus. The new fixtures are LED with on-board occupancy/daylight sensors and wireless communications between fixtures. Outdoor lighting is being replaced with LED fixtures to reduce energy consumption and use the precision of LEDs to illuminate the surfaces that are needed for safety but reduce light pollution.
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
The newly constructed Integrated Science and Engineering (ISEC) was built with a solar wall to use passive solar heating to reduce thermal energy consumption.
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution, e.g. combined heat and power (CHP):
The university is working to develop a large project to create a campus microgrid powered by a CHP plant, on-site renewables, and battery storage.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives (e.g. building re-commissioning or retrofit programs):
The university has deployed building analytics software on approximately 30% of campus buildings and will continue to expand going forward to continually commission buildings. A campus-wide initiative to replace aging equipment, infrastructure, and controls systems has been planned with the first phase of installing LED lighting with onboard occupancy/daylight controls already in process with 10,000+ fixtures replaced or retrofit.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.