2023 Chiller and HVAC Units Energy Conservation
The University department of facilities management has developed an initiative to conserve energy by reducing the run times of our campus chilled water utility plants and increasing our supply chilled water temperature, from 42 to 46 degrees. By doing this, we will not have to run as many machines fully loaded during peak hours, saving energy and costs.
We have also reduced the amount of run times on most of our building ac systems by developing a detailed AC run schedules for each building. This will reduce the amount of run time for building systems when those buildings are unoccupied. Reducing run times will also reduce wear and tear on the mechanical equipment systems.
Housing & Residence Life innovative energy efficiency technology
The app-based system uses occupancy sensors and intelligent thermostats to adjust a room’s temperature according to occupancy, eliminating the unnecessary heating and cooling of empty rooms. By intelligently controlling the temperature and plug loads in unoccupied rooms, this energy management system allows a residence hall to decrease equipment runtime and energy usage without a negative impact to occupant comfort.
Available at Mahoney Pearson and Lakeside Village.
Learn more
CO2 Scrubbers
Poor indoor air quality and high HVAC energy consumption is always a challenge for high traffic buildings. UM installed HLRs-CO2 scrubbers on each floor of the 60,000-ft2 wellness facility at the Don Soffer Clinical Research Center to scrub air of contaminants and reduce the amount of outside air ventilation required, saving 28% more energy than in regular units.
Another CO2 scrubber was installed in the Richter Library on the Coral Gables campus in 2018 allowing for substantial indoor air quality improvement and energy savings. Learn more
Heat trapping window film at Mahoney Pearson
The university’s twin, seven story dormitory buildings achieved higher energy savings with the installation of heat trapping window film. The film also improve safety by reducing shattering in case a window breaks, and enhance comfort by reducing heat and glare. The University enjoys an estimated $6,500 in savings annually because of the increased energy efficiency of the Pearson and Mahoney residential college buildings. Learn more
Heat Trapping Windows at the Wellness Center from ECO Agency
Energy Conservation measures on the Coral Gables campus
Reducing electrical consumption has been our focus over the past 3 years. Significant energy conservation
improvements and activities during this period have included the following:
- In collaboration with UM IT, Facilities and Operations offers an IT energy saving program where all desktop computers are set on sleep mode. Extended to all PCs in all divisions of the main campus, this could save up to 15% of our energy consumption.
- Since 2016, the University passed a LED lighting mandate to phase out incandescent and CFL bulbs.
- Improved management of our Utility Plants CHW loop control strategies and set points to reduce the cost of Chilled Water production.
- Refrigerants upgrades to improve our chilled water loop system performance.
- Interior Lighting retrofit from T12 to T8 lamps with electronic ballast.
- Exterior LED lighting retrofits reducing wattage.
- Occupancy sensors in all buildings.
- BACnet EMS installation.
- Utility Plants upgrade of chiller to high performance energy efficient units to address additional load.
- High Efficiency Motor replacements.
- Campus wide efficiency setback of thermostats during campus break.
- Establishment of a campus Wide Set point of 74 Deg (+/- 1.5)
- On-going routine and preventive maintenance of building mechanical systems equipment to maximize
their efficiency.
- Consolidate off period activities into selected energy efficient buildings so less efficient buildings can be set to unoccupied status.
- Load shifting to off peak hours
Pilot Program: IT Energy Savings in collaboration with the EPA, UM IT and Facilities Management
Putting our computers on sleeping mode, provided that Cyber Security rules are thoroughly respected, could save UM a lot of energy and reduce our carbon footprint.
