| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 63.61 |
| Liaison | Greg Kozak |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Northwestern University
OP-8: Building Energy Consumption
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.13 / 6.00 |
William
Bach Project Manager Facilities Management - SustainNU |
Total building energy consumption, all sources (transportation fuels excluded):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total building energy consumption | 2,222,284 MMBtu | 2,357,478 MMBtu |
Purchased electricity and steam:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Grid-purchased electricity | 759,977 MMBtu | 744,934 MMBtu |
| District steam/hot water | 0 MMBtu | 0 MMBtu |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 15,007,605.60 Gross square feet | 13,532,592.35 Gross square feet |
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year::
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 983,408.25 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 37,681.71 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space |
Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F)::
| Degree days (see help icon above) | |
| Heating degree days | 6,932 |
| Cooling degree days | 951 |
Source-site ratios::
| Source-Site Ratio (see help icon above) | |
| Grid-purchased electricity | 3.08 |
| 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 | Sept. 1, 2013 | Aug. 31, 2014 |
| Baseline Year | Sept. 1, 2009 | Aug. 31, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted:
It is the policy of Northwestern University to design and establish a fundamental understanding of an institutional commitment to environmental responsibility and to implement methods to reduce energy consumption and its related costs.
The purpose of this energy policy is to establish the framework for acceptable protocols, practices, and operational standards. To fully integrate Northwestern University’s Strategic Initiatives with the goal of this policy and to further foster a culture of engagement by positively impacting our educational environment throughout its entire lifecycle.
A brief description of any building temperature standards employed by the institution:
The University's energy management system will set indoor temperature at 68°F during the heating season and at 76°F during the cooling season. Occupants who control the temperatures in their spaces are expected to follow this policy by using these ranges. During off-hours and on weekends and holidays, the temperature in most non-residential spaces will be allowed to drop to 55°F before heating occurs and will be allowed to rise to 86°F before cooling occurs. In selected areas, more aggressive temperature setback programs are being piloted and employed.
A brief description of any light emitting diode (LED) lighting employed by the institution:
Northwestern University has undertaken an ambitious lighting upgrade program, replacing incandescent and T12 fluorescents with efficient T5 and LED fixtures across the University. When fixtures are being replaced, our operations team selects the most efficient options whenever possible. Preferred LED and T5 fixtures are specified in NU’s Design and Construction Standards, along with occupancy sensors and, when applicable, light sensing and dimming technologies. All exit and emergency signage has been upgraded to LED technology.
A brief description of any occupancy and/or vacancy sensors employed by the institution:
Vacancy sensors are present in many residential and academic building bathrooms, as well as in hallways. We have piloted light harvesting and automatic shades in the west and south facing offices in our Ford Engineering building.
A brief description of any passive solar heating employed by the institution:
A brief description of any ground-source heat pumps employed by the institution:
Geothermal heat pumps are a feature of the new Segal Visitor's Center, and are also included in the Kellogg School of Management building, which is currently under construction. Both provide supplemental heating and cooling, rather than primary.
A brief description of any cogeneration technologies employed by the institution:
We have a small cogeneration system approximately 800kW o support.
We are considering cogeneration as part of our Utility Infrastructure Master Plan that will offset half our electrical consumption.
A brief description of any building recommissioning or retrofit program employed by the institution:
The University Library and the Feinberg School of Medicine have both been retrofitted in the past several years. Windows have been replaced, which utilize low-E glass and better sealing to reduce solar energy gain in the summer, and ensure heating and cooling is not wasted in the winter. After an energy assessment in 2012 by NORESCO, Feinberg prioritized several projects that are estimated to save the school over $6.5 million. Both the ventilation and chilled water systems are getting upgrades. The project will implement demand control ventilation in the laboratories, monitoring key parameters to dynamically regulate the air change rate in each space. Two chillers in the Searle Medical Research Building are also being replaced, in conjunction with steps to revise and automate the chiller selection strategy to maximize operating efficiency across all of the Feinberg buildings. Current projects include recommissioning lab spaces to lower allowed ventilation flows, lighting retrofits, and steam trap surveys. The university also makes regular use of utility incentive programs for energy efficiency.
A brief description of any energy metering and management systems employed by the institution:
The University is currently in the process of an Energy Data Audit, which is meant to aggregate all utility and energy consumption data on a building-by-building basis. This is the first step in our plan to improve our sub-metering plan, and create an energy management system to let us better understand our biggest energy consumption areas.
A brief description of the institution's program to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
We have been replacing constant air flow fume hoods with variable air flow fume hoods to reduce energy consumption in our lab spaces. The university also regularly takes advantage of utility company rebates to improve efficiency in our campus energy systems.
A brief description of any energy-efficient landscape design initiatives employed by the institution:
we are in the process of replacing all exterior lights to reduce light pollution and have the ability to automate and dim lights. we are replacing aging high-pressure sodium with LED smart technology and induction.
A brief description of any vending machine sensors, lightless machines, or LED-lit machines employed by the institution:
A brief description of other energy conservation and efficiency initiatives employed by the institution:
Insulation Repairs, Steam Trap Repairs, LED conversions, Automation and dimming controls, improved HVAC DDC systems, replacing inefficient equipment; incorporating heat recovery wherever applicable
The website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Site to Source ratio for purchased electricity was calculated using our electric utility provider power mix information for 2016 and primary energy usage information from the following source: Masanet, E., Chang, Y., Gopal, A., Larsen, P., Morrow, W.R., Sathre, R., Shehabi, A., and P. Zhai (2013). "Life Cycle Assessment of Electric Power Systems." Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Volume 38.
Site to Source ratio for purchased electricity was calculated using our electric utility provider power mix information for 2016 and primary energy usage information from the following source: Masanet, E., Chang, Y., Gopal, A., Larsen, P., Morrow, W.R., Sathre, R., Shehabi, A., and P. Zhai (2013). "Life Cycle Assessment of Electric Power Systems." Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Volume 38.
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.