| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.92 |
| Liaison | Amy Brunvand |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2023 |
University of Utah
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.76 / 6.00 |
Emerson
Andrews Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund Manager Sustainability Office |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Site energy use per unit of floor area
Performance year energy consumption
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 253,836,502 Kilowatt-hours | 866,090.14 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 1,142,456 Kilowatt-hours | 3,898.06 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 1,700,000 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 0 MMBtu |
Total site energy consumption, performance year:
2,569,988.20
MMBtu
Performance year building space
16,966,106
Gross square feet
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
| Floor area | |
| Laboratory space | 2,156,378 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 2,469,429 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 435,775 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
26,653,495
Gross square feet
Performance year heating and cooling degree days
| Degree days | |
| Heating degree days | 5,361 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 1,726 Degree-Days (°F) |
Total degree days, performance year:
7,087
Degree-Days (°F)
Performance period
| Start date | End date | |
| Performance period | July 1, 2021 | June 30, 2022 |
Metric used in scoring for Part 1
13.61
Btu / GSF / Degree-Day (°F)
Part 2. Reduction in source energy use per unit of floor area
Baseline year energy consumption
STARS 2.2 requires electricity data in kilowatt-hours (kWh). If a baseline has already been established in a previous version of STARS and the institution wishes to continue using it, the electricity data must be re-entered in kWh. To convert existing electricity figures from MMBtu to kWh, simply multiply by 293.07107 MMBtu/kWh.
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 231,203,369 Kilowatt-hours | 788,865.90 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 23,559 Kilowatt-hours | 80.38 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, baseline year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 1,769,332 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 0 MMBtu |
Total site energy consumption, baseline year:
2,558,278.28
MMBtu
Baseline year building space
13,258,853
Gross square feet
Baseline period
| Start date | End date | |
| Baseline period | Jan. 1, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
The 2010 baseline year was selected to maintain a consistent emission-inventory history between the performance year and the year we had previously submitted a STARS report.
Source energy
3
Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Site energy | Source energy | |
| Performance year | 0.15 MMBtu per square foot | 0.25 MMBtu per square foot |
| Baseline year | 0.19 MMBtu per square foot | 0.31 MMBtu per square foot |
Metric used in scoring for Part 2
18.71
Optional Fields
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency:
Working through Sustainability Office staff, FM Energy Management has information for Green Teams - information is also included in outreach materials associated with Green Office Certification programs.
Space Heater Exchange program. Since 2019 Students, faculty, and staff are engaged to exchange their space heaters for electric blankets in an effort to reduce individual energy use.
Space Heater Exchange program. Since 2019 Students, faculty, and staff are engaged to exchange their space heaters for electric blankets in an effort to reduce individual energy use.
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
Utah has been aggressive keeping up with the latest Energy Codes for construction over time. The state has required all new state-funded buildings to be built in a way that qualifies for LEED silver or higher. The University’s facilities have to meet Utah Division of Facilities and Construction Management’s High Performance Building Standards, which contain Energy Use Intensity requirements and monitoring for two years.
Operationally, new standards have been created for controls optimization and to clarify temperature and humidity requirements by space use. Operational efficiency projects are continuing in the process of applying these standards campus-wide.
Implemented modern control strategies including supply air temperature and pressure resets at air handlers and pump differential pressure resets where applicable.
Advanced rooftop controls have been added to packaged rooftop units, reducing energy consumption by reducing fan speed, staging compressors, and ensuring economizers are functioning correctly.
Operationally, new standards have been created for controls optimization and to clarify temperature and humidity requirements by space use. Operational efficiency projects are continuing in the process of applying these standards campus-wide.
Implemented modern control strategies including supply air temperature and pressure resets at air handlers and pump differential pressure resets where applicable.
Advanced rooftop controls have been added to packaged rooftop units, reducing energy consumption by reducing fan speed, staging compressors, and ensuring economizers are functioning correctly.
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
The University of Utah continues to improve its lighting standard for exterior structures and uses LEDs in all new construction and renovation projects where applicable. Buildings, parking structures, walkways, etc. are being switched over to LEDs and are required to adhere to the University’s dark-sky policies that minimize light pollution, and our lighting specialist in Facilities Sustainability & Energy works extensively with project teams to identify opportunities for LED installation. Facilities is also implementing advanced controls to minimize energy usage.
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
The Gardner Commons building was recently constructed with a ground source thermal storage system. The loop can exchange energy seasonally and enabled smaller mechanical systems to be used within the building.
Thermal storage is used at one of the university’s chilled water plant to optimize chilled water production for cost and efficiency.
Thermal storage is used at one of the university’s chilled water plant to optimize chilled water production for cost and efficiency.
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
The UofU has a natural gas combined heat and power (CHP) plant that serves its lower campus area. Facilities Management has created operating guidelines to ensure the plant is operating at peak efficiency (based on demand for campus heat, pricing of NG and electricity, etc.)
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
Facilities Sustainability & Energy and the Sustainability Office implemented an Energy Star purchasing requirement for new appliances including a refrigerator/freezer swap. Construction to expand this effort is ongoing.
Heat pump water heaters have been installed in a few locations on campus.
Facilities Management completed a major project that increased the efficiency of the east campus chilled water production and distribution system which included re-commissioning of chilled water systems at numerous buildings served by the plant. Energy is shared between buildings by using chilled water loops as condenser water to generate heat. This helps increase temperature differential at the chilled water plant and recovers waste heat from year round processes to be used for space heating.
Heat pump water heaters have been installed in a few locations on campus.
Facilities Management completed a major project that increased the efficiency of the east campus chilled water production and distribution system which included re-commissioning of chilled water systems at numerous buildings served by the plant. Energy is shared between buildings by using chilled water loops as condenser water to generate heat. This helps increase temperature differential at the chilled water plant and recovers waste heat from year round processes to be used for space heating.
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:
Area and energy data from Facilities Sustainability & Energy division based on utility bills. All energy data is associated with specific buildings and the area, construction date, and demolition of buildings is tracked over time.
Attachments:
#1 Energy star property type summary
#2 Wes Mangum, "U Exceeds federal Energy reduction Commitment" @THEU, April 17, 2020
URL:https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/u-exceeds-federal-energy-reduction-commitment/
Attachments:
#1 Energy star property type summary
#2 Wes Mangum, "U Exceeds federal Energy reduction Commitment" @THEU, April 17, 2020
URL:https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/u-exceeds-federal-energy-reduction-commitment/
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.