UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sustainability and energy conservation have long been priorities for Penn State, and today (May 8) the Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning learned about an 18 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and some of the University's other successes.
Penn State has had remarkable success in energy and greenhouse gas reductions. Since 2005, the University has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent, while simultaneously adding 1.1 million square feet of building space to the campus.
The University has identified a new and challenging goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a level that is 35 percent below the 2005 baseline. The projects listed below will contribute greatly to achieving that goal. These initiatives are directly in line with the goals of the new Sustainability Institute and will provide students with a model for efficient living in an energy-intensive culture as well as reduce long-term operational costs for the University.
Lighting upgrades
The University is planning general lighting upgrades to improve energy efficiency and provide energy savings. The lighting upgrade work will include re-lamping, re-balasting, light fixture replacement, incidental painting and patching and selected controls and wiring upgrades in seven buildings on campus: Carpenter, Hallowell, Kern, Reber, Sparks, Wartik and Willard. The cost estimate for this project is $1.5 million.
Energy upgrades
The University intends to implement energy conservation measures that will include upgrades to heating, ventilation, air conditioning, building envelope, lighting and plumbing systems in Food Sciences, Willard, Leonhard and Thomas buildings on the University Park campus. The cost estimate for this project is $2.15 million.
Energy conservation measures for Agricultural Science and Industries, Forest Resources, Wartik and Earth and Engineering Sciences buildings may include upgrades to heating, ventilation, air conditioning, building envelope, lighting and plumbing systems. The cost estimate for this project is $2.25 million.
The projects will include a comprehensive energy audit of each building to determine the scope of the upgrade. Typical conservation measures for the energy projects could be conversion of HVAC constant air volume systems to variable air volume systems; improved operating strategies; control upgrades; installation of heat recovery; lighting replacement; and plumbing fixture replacement.