| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.60 |
| Liaison | Megan Curtis-Murphy |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2023 |
Northeastern University
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.42 / 6.00 |
Jacob
Glickel Director of Sustainability Operations Climate Justice & Sustainability Hub |
Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 102,894,000 Kilowatt-hours | 351,074.33 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 | 556,238 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 | 625,366 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 12,920 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 127,924 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Degree days, performance year:
| Degree days | |
| Heating degree days | 5,016 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 1,160 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 | Jan. 1, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2021 |
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 | 85,860,000 Kilowatt-hours | 292,954.32 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 | 606,816 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 | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
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.
Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Site energy | Source energy | |
| Performance year | 0.12 MMBtu per square foot | 0.23 MMBtu per square foot |
| Baseline year | 0.16 MMBtu per square foot | 0.27 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:
Use the communications platform of Planning, Real Estate, and Facilities to educate students, faculty, and staff about conserving energy, shutting windows, and letting us know about issues, especially during the school breaks. Support student groups annual residential hall energy conservation contest. Install occupational sensors in rooms for lighting and thermostats in all new projects.
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
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). Building Analytics and automation are not standard in all new projects and building renovations. All projects must meet LEED Gold certification.
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
The university has performed a campus-wide replacement of all 2X2, 2X4, and 1X4 fluorescent fixtures on campus with LEDs. 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 Integrated Science and Engineering (ISEC) building adopted a number of innovations to reduce thermal demand, including a solar wall, chilled beams, heat recovery chiller, and exterior solar sunshades. Our new science building (EXP), under construction, will incorporate these technologies and push the savings further using lessons learned from ISEC.
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
The University considered building a central co-generation plant to replace the existing steam plant. However, Northeastern decided on a different approach given that the plant would have been expensive, provided minimal carbon savings, and committed significant upfront investment in a technology that currently relies on fossil fuels.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
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 energy program to replace aging HVAC systems, upgrade energy infrastructure, switch to lower carbon steam, improve building envelopes, and expand implementation of buildings controls systems has been approved and is in active planning.
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.