Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.59
Liaison Susan Dorward
Submission Date Aug. 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

Raritan Valley Community College
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.32 / 6.00 Susan Dorward
Sustainability and Energy Coordinator
Facilities and Grounds
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
kWh MMBtu
Imported electricity 8,159,131 Kilowatt-hours 27,838.95 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) 492,172 Kilowatt-hours 1,679.29 MMBtu

Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
MMBtu
Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy 30,561 MMBtu
Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water 0 MMBtu

Total site energy consumption, performance year:
60,079.25 MMBtu

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
588,000 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 20,300 Square feet
Healthcare space 0 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 17,375 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
645,975 Gross square feet

Degree days, performance year:
Degree days
Heating degree days 3,762 Degree-Days (°F)
Cooling degree days 1,840 Degree-Days (°F)

Total degree days, performance year:
5,602 Degree-Days (°F)

Start and end dates of the performance year (or 3-year period):
Start date End date
Performance period July 1, 2020 June 30, 2021

Total site energy consumption per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
16.60 Btu / GSF / Degree-Day (°F)

Electricity use, baseline year (report kWh):
kWh MMBtu
Imported electricity 9,420,638 Kilowatt-hours 32,143.22 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 28,647 MMBtu
Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water 0 MMBtu

Total site energy consumption, baseline year:
60,790.22 MMBtu

Gross floor area of building space, baseline year:
441,000 Gross square feet

Start and end dates of the baseline year (or 3-year period):
Start date End date
Baseline period July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005

A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:

The '04-'05 baseline was adopted in '11 when RVCC first applied for a STARS rating.


Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
3

Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
Site energy Source energy
Performance year 0.10 MMBtu per square foot 0.20 MMBtu per square foot
Baseline year 0.14 MMBtu per square foot 0.28 MMBtu per square foot

Percentage reduction in total source energy consumption per unit of floor area from baseline:
30.59

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:
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A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:

RVCC uses a building control system from Automated Logic Corporation to manage the HVAC systems for most buildings on campus. When occupied (between 6:30am and 9 or 10pm in most buildings), temperatures are set at 69-70 in winter and 72 in summer. When unoccupied, temperatures are allowed to range between 55 and 80 degrees in most buildings. Temperatures are adjusted upon request from occupants.


A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:

LED lighting is used in all parking lot and walkway lighting and over half of the buildings (new and replacement fixtures). Many PAR30 and PAR38 bulbs and 2x2's are LED.


A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:

The Library is partially heated by passive solar through the extensive south facing windows. Somerset Hall, the West building, and the upper floors of Hunterdon also benefit from significant southern exposure (the length of the buildings facing south). The West building has sun shields above the southern windows to provide shade in summer but allow light in winter.


A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:

In 2007, RVCC installed a 1.4MW co-generation engine, becoming the first community college in the country to do so. The co-generation unit is a natural gas fired reciprocating engine that generates 1.4 megawatts of electricity coupled to an absorption unit that converts exhaust engine gases to either 320 tons of cooling or 2000 MMbtu hot water.
The goal of the plant is to reduce carbon emissions by 1900 tons per year. The College received a grant for $1 million from the NJ Board of Public Utilities to construct the cogeneration plant.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:

HVAC equipment has been recommissioned as part of the rollout of automated controls across campus. All buildings except for portions of Somerset and Hunterdon have been recommissioned. New HVAC equipment has been installed in the Library and Arts building. Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pumps have been installed in the Enrollment Center.


Website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency program is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Note that RVCC does not own the SRECs for the on-site solar array (in Lot 5).

HDD and CDD data is from Weather Data Depot for Somerville, NJ.

Gas and fuel oil data for 2004-5 is from the greenhouse gas report.


Note that RVCC does not own the SRECs for the on-site solar array (in Lot 5).

HDD and CDD data is from Weather Data Depot for Somerville, NJ.

Gas and fuel oil data for 2004-5 is from the greenhouse gas report.

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.