Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.52
Liaison Lindsey MacDonald
Submission Date March 1, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Western Washington University
OP-5: Building Energy Consumption

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.06 / 6.00 Scott Dorough
Campus Energy Manager
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1

This credit is based on energy inputs from offsite sources and electricity produced by onsite renewables. When the institution purchases one fuel and uses it to produce heat and/or power, you should enter only what is purchased. For example, if the institution purchases natural gas to fuel a CHP system and produce steam and electricity, only the purchased natural gas should be reported.

Figures needed to determine total building energy consumption:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Grid-purchased electricity 107,279.48 MMBtu 118,960.79 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site renewables 27.43 MMBtu 0 MMBtu
District steam/hot water (sourced from offsite) 0 MMBtu 0 MMBtu
Energy from all other sources (e.g., natural gas, fuel oil, propane/LPG, district chilled water, coal/coke, biomass) 199,533 MMBtu 234,370 MMBtu
Total 306,839.91 MMBtu 353,330.79 MMBtu

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Oct. 1, 2015 Sept. 30, 2016
Baseline Year Oct. 1, 2012 Sept. 30, 2013

A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
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Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area of building space 3,460,661 Gross square feet 3,006,554 Gross square feet

Source-site ratio for grid-purchased electricity:
3.14

Total building energy consumption per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Site energy 0.09 MMBtu per square foot 0.12 MMBtu per square foot
Source energy 0.16 MMBtu per square foot 0.20 MMBtu per square foot

Percentage reduction in total building energy consumption (source energy) per unit of floor area from baseline:
23.34

Part 2 

Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F / 18 °C):
Degree days (see help icon above)
Heating degree days 3,264 Degree-Days (°F)
Cooling degree days 61 Degree-Days (°F)

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 158,346 Square feet
Healthcare space 0 Square feet
Other energy intensive space

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
6,998,356 Gross square feet

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

Optional Fields 

Documentation (e.g. spreadsheet or utility records) to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency (e.g. outreach and education efforts):
Employees are encouraged to reduce campus wasted energy load during holidays and extended breaks by forwarding "Power Down for Break" reminder messages to faculty, staff, and students. A Power Down - Poster Series was created, and is updated seasonally, to provide an attractive visual cue and reminder checklist, using the following text: Before you leave for break - remember to Power Down. Help reduce WWU standing electricity load (also known as power drain) or phantom load: Turn off computers, monitors, & printers; Unplug chargers & small appliances (not the refrigerator); Leave the thermostat at its normal setting; Close the windows & the shades; Turn off lights & shut windows in unoccupied rooms; Water plants; Remind colleagues & students to "power down" before leaving. Sweater Days is an outreach campaign that encourages all campus users to layer down and wear sweaters instead of turning the thermostats above 68 degrees. The campaign includes a series of social media posts, events like film showings and crafts, and a photoshoot to engage the community. Read more on: https://sustain.wwu.edu/sweater-days/ SOC is for administrative and academic office working groups, to measure, improve, and get recognition for their daily practices that reduce energy and materials consumption, impacts and waste. As of Spring 2015, 19% of campus offices are certified. Participation is open to all. Contact the SOC coordinator to learn more, and sign your office up for Sustainable Office Certification support and tools. https://sustain.wwu.edu/sustainable-office-certification/

A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution (e.g. building temperature standards, occupancy and vacancy sensors):
WWU uses electronic timer functions within the computer based Building Automation Control System (BACS). These automated systems have many different industry standard names and acronyms. Also manual bypass occupancy timers are used for some zone control in addition to the BACS controls. All of the major facilities on campus have their Heating, Ventilating & Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems start and stop by these electronic timers. This is time of day scheduling that our Building Automation Control Technicians use to set the operating parameters of the HVAC systems.

A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
In 2012 the Sustainable Action Fund Grant Program awarded funding for the retrofit of the C West parking lots lighting fixtures with light emitting diode (LED) lighting fixtures. https://sustain.wwu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/LED-lighting-in-the-C-West-Parking-Lots.pdf In 2014, Sustainable Action Fund Grant Program also awarded funding to replace the incandescent lights in the concert hall of the Performing Arts Center with energy- and cost-saving LED lights. https://concerthalllightingproject.wordpress.com/

A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
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A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution, e.g. combined heat and power (CHP):
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives (e.g. building re-commissioning or retrofit programs):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.