Facilities Operations

A Department in Facilities

Energy Management

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Mission


UNC Greensboro Energy Management stewardships energy resources and related systems on the campus. Energy Management group is responsible for controlling, managing, and tracking energy and water use on campus.


This unit approaches cost-effective ways to minimize energy consumption and cost while maintaining safe and comfortable environment for occupants in buildings to support the University’s mission.

Staff


Energy Management Staff

UNCG Energy Management group is led by Facilities Operations Director, Campus Mechanical Engineer, Utilities Manager, HVAC Shop Supervisor, Electric Shop Supervisors, and the Energy Analyst.

REPORT AN ISSUE:


Have you noticed an issue on campus that is wasting energy or water?
Please contact: Facilities Operations (336) 334-5684 Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Or Campus Police (336) 334-4444 for After hours emergency.
Alternatively, you may also contact building liaisons where they can submit work orders related to the issue.

About


As part of the UNC System, UNC Greensboro supports Utility Savings Initiatives (USI) started in 2002 with goals to reduce energy and water consumption and utilities bills. In 2018, Executive Order 80 (EO80) to advance this effort, increased the energy reduction goal to 40% per square foot by 2025 for Cabinet Agencies.

UNC System tracks progress toward goals using Key Performance Indicators* (KPI) in utility usage and cost by an annual report from agencies. UNC Greensboro 2021 Strategic Energy and Water Annual Report has more detailed utilities consumption and expenditures from 2003 baseline year.


Utility Savings Carry Forward



UNC Greensboro annually reports to State Energy Office documenting energy and water savings credits to claim Utility Savings Carry Forward (USCF) leftover from utilities budget of State Appropriated facilities. Facilities Operations uses the approved onetime carry forward amount to implement projects for more energy efficiency on campus.



ENERGY AND WATER REDUCTION APPROACHES


    Energy:

Building Systems and Equipment: our team seeks more effective operation practices and utilizes as resources available more efficient equipment such Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) to adjust motors speed based on load, and high energy performance equipment.
Lighting: implement line-voltage LEDs to eliminate conventional lights with ballasts and uses occupancy sensors wherever is feasible; implement automatic lighting controls and integrate with the Building Automation System (BAS); use LED exit lights.
Building’s Schedule: set HVAC and lighting systems in buildings for occupied/unoccupied hours to meet programs and occupants needs with energy and systems efficiencies considerations.

    Water:

Closely watch water consumption in buildings, facilities, Chiller Plants and Steam Plant for unnecessary usage to minimize wasting water.
In buildings: install dual flush toilets and urinals and automatics for hands-free usage; install automatic flow hands-free sink faucets.
In outdoor spaces: install Smart Irrigation controllers considering weather, soil conditions, evaporation, and plant water requirements to control watering to actual needs.

1. BTU(British Thermal Unit) U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) defines BTU as “a measure of the heat content of fuels or energy sources. It is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of liquid water by 1-degree Fahrenheit at the temperature that water has its greatest density (approximately 39 degrees Fahrenheit).”

CAMPUS ENERGY AND WATER FACTS


In fiscal year 2021, the University utilities expenditures totaled $7.7 million for water and energy. UNCG campus used $1.1 million in water bills; and $6.5 million in energy. In the energy side, electricity used $4.7 million, natural gas $1.8 million, and No. 2 fuel oil used less than $51,000.
FY2021 energy bills provided 673,406 million BTUs to meet campus energy needs. FY 2021 energy BTU’s split was approximately 60% natural gas, 39% electricity, and 0.05% No. 2 fuel oil.

UtilityExpenditures Energy_BTU_Usage
DecreasedEUI-Energy TotalEnergyMMBTU_GSF DecreasedWaterConsumEnergy

Natural Gas


Piedmont Natural Gas (PNG) provides service through individual meters to the campus and outlying properties. Natural gas is used as fuel for the boilers in the Steam Plant, domestic water heaters, cooking appliances, and generators. Except the Steam Plant and a few residential complexes, most accounts are small enough that the gas service is provided under PNG’s small general service rate or residential rate schedules. In fiscal year 2021, the University’s total natural gas bill was $1.8 million for 4.0 million therms.


Natural gas for the Steam Plant is purchased through State Term Contract 405N, which is currently held by Texican Natural Gas Company, LLC. Use of No. 2 fuel oil not only provides a reliable backup fuel but also allows UNCG to take advantage of the interruptible gas rate through the term contract. This capability enhances operational flexibility and results in significant cost savings.


UNCG Steam Plant accounts for about 90% of the entire campus natural gas consumption providing heating and hot domestic water for 63 buildings on campus serving over 2.2 million assigned GSF (~60% of total buildings GSF).


Electricity


Duke Energy provides electric power to the campus through over a hundred accounts. Approximately half the accounts are for the Lofts on Lee and Spartan Village-I and II on West Gate City Blvd. Others are for either leases for public lighting or for power to very small, dispersed loads such as irrigation systems, emergency phones, and entrance signs.

By far the largest account is for the main campus distribution system. The main campus receives power at a central substation that feeds an underground medium voltage electrical distribution system connected to more than 60 buildings on campus.

The campus substation is contracted with Duke Energy for 15 megawatts with a time-of-use electricity rate schedule. UNCG’s electricity accounts including the substation are reviewed annually to evaluate the best rate options and incentive programs for which UNC G qualifies. All buildings connected to the substation have UNCG-owned electricity meters that are read and entered into a database.

In fiscal year 2021, the campus total electricity bills were $4.7 million for 77.7 million kWhs. The substation electricity consumption totaled to 66.2 million kWhs paid $3.8 million covering over 80% of the total campus electricity kWh usage.


CHILLED WATER AND STEAM

The University uses purchased power and natural gas to create chilled water and steam that are distributed to the campus. Steam goes to a total of 63 buildings on the main campus where it is used for climate control, humidification, and domestic water heating. In FY2021, the Steam Plant produced 296.9 million pounds of steam.

McIver Chiller Plant with 6,000-ton cooling capacity is the first campus-wide central chiller plant to cool 43 buildings on campus. The new-constructed South Chiller Plant orchestrating with McIver Chiller Plant, adding 3,000 tons capacity to sufficiently conditioning buildings on campus. The new South Chiller Plant helped meet the additional load of the new Nursing and Instructional Building.

Resources



  • ❖Unplug unused equipment such as printers, scanners, copiers, fax machines, and chargers.
  • ❖Set computer to hibernate or sleep mode if shutting down is impractical.
  • ❖Unplug battery chargers or power adapters when equipment is fully charged or disconnected from the charger.
  • ❖Set the room temperature up two degrees in the summertime to save about 5% on cooling costs. That's also work when lowering the temperature in wintertime.
  • ❖Close fume hoods in laboratories when not in use.
  • ❖ Purchase the most energy efficient appliances and electronics. See EPA Energy Star web site at energystar.gov/.
  • ❖Fix that leaky faucet.
  • ❖Report any water leaks quickly to save gallons.
  • ❖Turn off the tap while shaving, brushing teeth or any other time when you’re not actually using water.
  • ❖Shorten the shower to save about 2.5 gallons of water per minute.
  • ❖Turn off lights when you leave an empty room.
  • ❖Use natural light.
  • ❖Use task lighting when possible, to reduce overhead lighting.


  • ❖ Install occupancy sensors for offices, classrooms, and bathrooms.
  • ❖ Install night setback for HVAC systems for offices and classroom buildings.
  • ❖ Install automatic lighting controls for offices and classroom buildings to turn off hallway lights to minimum when building is unoccupied.
  • ❖ Obtain an IT policy for energy management of computers campus wide.
  • ❖ Replace incandescent lighting, compact fluorescent, HPS, Metal-Halide to LED
  • ❖ Install high efficiency motors in new construction and when replacing existing motors.
  • ❖ Install variable frequency drives (VFD) on motors in HVAC systems.
  • ❖ Install low flow toilets and urinals with automatic flush hands-free.
  • ❖ Install automatic flow hands-free sink faucets.
  • ❖ Add rain sensors to irrigation systems.
  • ❖ Irrigate during early morning hours to reduce evaporation.
  • ❖ Use mulch to reduce irrigating.
  • ❖ Plant drought resistant, native species whenever possible to reduce the need for watering.