CUSTOMER
University Park, Pennsylvania is home to one of the nations most esteemed universities — Penn State. Through a Guaranteed Energy Savings Program (GESP), Penn State’s classrooms, offices and dorm buildings are now using state of-the-art, energy-efficient lamps and ballasts.
CHALLENGES
To design a lighting retrofit scenario that maintained well-lit environments, while not compromising aesthetics and, most importantly, reducing energy
consumption.
SOLUTION
To initiate the program, Penn State engineers identified the highest energy consuming buildings on campus and ranked them in terms of energy usage. The engineers then looked at future plans to determine if any other projects or renovations had been scheduled for the buildings. They also eliminated any buildings slated for major maintenance or capital projects to avoid any duplication of efforts.
Under the program, a typical fluorescent light fixture consuming 95-watts will be retrofitted with a new energy-efficient lighting system that uses only 44-watts of energy. Inefficient incandescent light bulbs are replaced with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps. Not only do the energy-saving lighting systems reduce utility cost, but they have longer life components to ease the burden on the facilities’
maintenance staff.
The key to the implementation and success of this program is the use of an energy savings performance contract, modeled after the state of Pennsylvania’s Act 57. This process allows state entities to enter into an agreement with an energy service company (ESCO) to provide energy-efficient upgrades to the University’s facilities. These upgrades can cover many facility improvements from lighting, HVAC systems, windows, roofs to other energy-saving technologies. The project is structured so that the upgrades will generate enough savings in utility and operational cost to pay for the upgrades within a ten-year period, as mandated by Act 57.
“In fact, Penn State will save almost $1 million a year, reduce pollution in Pennsylvania and demonstrate proper environmental stewardship for facilities as an example for students,” says Laura Miller, energy program engineer in the Office of Physical Plant (OPP).
The lighting portion of the project encompasses 15 buildings on campus, and estimates to save Penn State close to $125,000 per year. “The initial phase of the program has been very successful,” stated Miller, the program director. Miller went on to cite, “We have installed 27,000 fluorescent lamps and 14,000 ballasts. In addition to achieving energy savings, customers have noticed better, brighter lighting.”
Thus far, 15 buildings have been completed in the first stage of the $7 million project. Miller said several commonwealth campuses also have expressed an interest in having buildings retrofitted as part of the project.