University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
OP-3: Building Operations and Maintenance

Best practices :
Impacts on the surrounding site
Energy Consumption - Auto control of Building
Building Level energy metering
Usage of environmentally preferable materials
Indoor environmental Quality
Water consumption - Best Practice and Pm program
Building - Level water metering - Building water meter .
CMMS - (Automated ) Computerized maintenance system

UTPA abides by the UT System Sustainability Policy. The Facilities Management department has a series of preventative maintenance (PM) schedules that are intended to focus on preserving the facilities at an optimal operating condition. The PM schedules consist of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual activities performed on equipment and building systems. These schedules are managed by a “computerized maintenance management system” (CMMS) that is known as WTMA (the Web based Maintenance Authority). These maintenance schedules not only assure that the building in operating effectively, but it also allows the equipment to run efficiently. For several years now, it has been our practice to incorporate the industries “best practices” into our everyday activities in order to maintain a respectable level of compliance with our university’s sustainability commitment.

Some sustainable practices are also related to operating campus buildings on “occupied and un-occupied” modes which allows for energy conservation efforts. Other practice include re-lamping to more efficient lighting and replacing water fixtures to water saving devices.

Each institution will update Energy Management Plans to reflect energy consumption reduction goals as of FY 2011 over the baseline levels established by the Energy Utility Task Force in 2001. The institutions will report quarterly progress to their Energy Management Plans by means of Governor’s Executive Order RP-49.

Any new capital or major renovation project will apply, as a minimum, the energy efficiency design and construction principles of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 as established by the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO). The institution planning and design process will include consideration of life cycle cost along with other factors in the project planning and design process, recognizing the importance of long-term operations, maintenance, total cost of ownership of U. T. System facilities, budgetary constraints, and programmatic requirements. A measurement and verification plan will be prepared prior to the completion of construction of a new building or major renovation, directed toward establishing an energy service consumption baseline during the first 12 months of occupancy. Subsequent energy consumption audits every three years will document 20% variances to the baseline levels. Institutions will require rainwater and gray water harvesting systems for non-potable use for new buildings where practical and within program budgets.

High Performance Buildings. Each institution will strive to achieve a high performance building comparable to a U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED®”) Certified rating or higher whenever possible, excluding laboratory and acute care and patient care facilities, within the constraints of program needs and budget parameters. U. T. System recognizes and commends the early leadership and accomplishments of LEED® as a green building certification program; however, that certification currently comes with a significant cost in documentation. Therefore, U. T. System strives for a high-performance building standard comparable to LEED® for new major capital projects. Money for certification documentation is better spent obtaining more energy-efficient building systems. Further study will be conducted before similar sustainable design policies for laboratory and acute care and/or patient care facilities are adopted.