| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.61 |
| Liaison | Tina Woolston |
| Submission Date | Nov. 2, 2022 |
Tufts University
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.32 / 6.00 |
Shoshana
Blank Education and Outreach Program Administrator Office of Sustainability |
Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 55,063,727 Kilowatt-hours | 187,877.44 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 3,463,249 Kilowatt-hours | 11,816.61 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 475,209 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 161,621 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 | 364,210 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 140,735 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 44,948 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Degree days, performance year:
| Degree days | |
| Heating degree days | 5,084 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 988 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 | July 1, 2019 | June 30, 2020 |
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 | 66,242,560.90 Kilowatt-hours | 226,019.62 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 | 263,609 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 124,438 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 | July 1, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
This energy baseline has been consistent for the past few STARS submissions and thus is a good representation of the growth of sustainable initiatives at Tufts University.
Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Site energy | Source energy | |
| Performance year | 0.15 MMBtu per square foot | 0.22 MMBtu per square foot |
| Baseline year | 0.15 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:
Shutting off equipment and lights, as well as taking care of building temperature issues, are both addressed in numerous outreach efforts. They are included in the new staff and faculty orientations, they earn points in the Green Office Certification programs, and the Office of Sustainability provides prompts to Eco-Ambassadors to hang in their offices.
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
Tufts' temperature policy can be found at:
http://sustainability.tufts.edu/tufts-university-temperature-policy/
We adjust temperature settings buildings depending on the season, making it warmer by a few degrees in the summer and cooling in the winter.
Anytime we renovate a building at Tufts we follow the building energy code and sometimes exceed the code. The code requires occupancy sensors. Certain buildings have an occupancy status of Standby mode, which reduces the energy use, but prepares for someone to be back in the room soon.
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
All Tufts capital projects use LED lights by default. The university is replacing lights on the Medford/Somerville campus quad as they burn out with new LED lights.
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
Ground source heat pump in Lane Hall
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
Tufts built a 4MW cogeneration facility, the Central Energy Plant. Construction was completed in spring 2018 and began providing heating, cooling and electricity for buildings on the Medford/Somerville campus.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
Any opportunities for emergency repairs and general maintenance to use efficiency strategies are being employed. For example, Tufts replaced cage and rack washer at DLAM with a new energy-efficient appliance.
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:
Performance Year = Fiscal Year 2020
Gross square feet includes Walnut Hill Properties used by Tufts, not including the space leased for residential uses. Walnut Hill Properties is a separate corporation, owned by the university, which manages its real estate. The total gross square feet also includes three buildings that Tufts leases at the SMFA (230 The Fenway, 160 St. Alphonsus St., and 1025 Beacon St.). Therefore, the SMFA energy data from these buildings was included for FY20.
Building efficiency efforts have been going on since 1990, so this metric only captures a portion of the reduction in energy consumption per gross sq. ft.
Dining Services at Tufts specifically buys the most energy efficient equipment available in the market and periodically audits their operating processes to identify opportunities to reduce energy and water consumption.
Performance Year = Fiscal Year 2020
Gross square feet includes Walnut Hill Properties used by Tufts, not including the space leased for residential uses. Walnut Hill Properties is a separate corporation, owned by the university, which manages its real estate. The total gross square feet also includes three buildings that Tufts leases at the SMFA (230 The Fenway, 160 St. Alphonsus St., and 1025 Beacon St.). Therefore, the SMFA energy data from these buildings was included for FY20.
Building efficiency efforts have been going on since 1990, so this metric only captures a portion of the reduction in energy consumption per gross sq. ft.
Dining Services at Tufts specifically buys the most energy efficient equipment available in the market and periodically audits their operating processes to identify opportunities to reduce energy and water consumption.
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.