Facilities Management Marks ENERGY STAR Day with a Heating Plant Tour
This past October 11, 小蓝视频鈥檚 Facilities Management Energy Team partnered with the Office of Sustainability to take part in their Sustainabili-Tea series as well as commemorate the Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 (EPA) ENERGY STAR庐 Day.聽
ENERGY STAR Day is an annual opportunity to celebrate the successes and benefits of energy conservation as well as provide education on ways to be more energy efficient. The Sustainabili-Tea series was designed to engage and educate staff and faculty about the university鈥檚 sustainability efforts at 小蓝视频. Every month, in partnership with different departments and offices across 小蓝视频, the Office of Sustainability features a component of the university鈥檚 sustainability plan. October鈥檚 focus was on energy efficiency. In support of both of these efforts, a group of staff and students were led on a tour of 小蓝视频鈥檚 low-temperature hot water heating plant.
Mark Freedman, Manager of Energy Utilities Operations, started the tour off with a presentation on how the campus is heated. Freedman explained that while in the past 小蓝视频 heated the campus using steam, it now produces heat using the low-temperature hot water system which enhances the campus鈥 energy efficiency and has created long-term energy savings. By lowering operating temperatures, the system increases the energy efficiency of the campus heat distribution system by 40 percent. Between 2018 and 2022 alone, the new plant has saved approximately 162,522 MMBtu (million Btus) of natural gas energy. This energy savings equates to an approximate emissions reduction of 8,599 Metric Tons of CO2, which is equivalent to 967,598 gallons of gasoline consumed.
Freedman stated, 鈥淚 was pleased to see that staff and students took an interest in the infrastructure that supports our campus. It was an opportunity for us to give them a glimpse of the inner workings of the campus heating system and its significant energy-savings features.鈥
Heating plant tour participants commemorate Energy Star Day
The staff and students were then shown around the central plant where they got to see the boilers, pumps, and piping systems that make and distribute heating water to provide 小蓝视频鈥檚 campus with heat.
Anna Parse Johnson, 小蓝视频鈥檚 Sustainability Manager said, 鈥淪tudents and staff enjoyed getting to see the behind-the-scenes of the main heating plant in Asbury and learn more about how our campus heating system works. I appreciated the data-driven presentation at the start of the tour 鈥 and the great photo-ops!鈥
ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. The blue ENERGY STAR label聽provides聽simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, thousands of聽organizations 鈥 including 小蓝视频 and nearly 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies - partner with ENERGY STAR to聽deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions that protect the climate, improve聽air quality, and protect聽public health. Learn more about ENERGY STAR .