Stanford’s suite of energy-saving programs targets large-scale building retrofits; small-scale retrofits; heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) controls; user habits; and new construction. In addition, the university is demonstrating solar technologies at several sites on campus. To learn about specific programs, click the headings below. Clicking the heading again will hide the text.
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Whole Building Retrofits Program
Whole Building Retrofits Program
The university has allocated $15 million for major capital improvements to the most energy-intensive buildings on campus. The first overhaul, of the Stauffer Chemistry Building, was finished in June 2007 and resulted in a 35 percent drop in electricity use, a 43 percent cut in steam use and 62 percent fall in chilled water use. It also reduced carbon dioxide emissions associated with the building by 762 metric tons per year and cut energy costs by 46 percent in the first 12 months.
Retrofits on the dozen most energy-intensive buildings are scheduled for completion by 2013. Altogether, the improvements are expected to save $4.2 million annually and reduce total energy use in these buildings by 28 percent.
Energy Retrofit Program (ERP)—Custom & Express Rebates
Energy Retrofit Program (ERP)—Custom & Express Rebates
ERP Custom Projects
The Energy Retrofit Program (ERP) has invested more than $10 million over 15 years in improving energy efficiency through building-level technology upgrades, such as T8 lamps and electronic ballasts, variable-speed drives for motors, LED exit signs and spectrally selective window film. The result of these custom projects is an estimated cumulative savings of over 240 million kilowatt-hours of electricity—about 15 months of the university’s current use—and prevention of 72,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. A program overview, project history, guidelines, and application details for custom rebates can be found on the ERP website.
ERP Express—Office Equipment
Reduced electrical consumption within individual workstations and shared office areas is a major goal of the Building Level Sustainability Program. To support facility managers and building-level "green champions" seeking an extra incentive to make strategic purchases and operational decisions, ERP Express for Office Equipment offers small rebates for the purchase and installation of appliance timers and Smart Strips. Eligibility requirements, terms and conditions, as well as other important information about the rebate program can be found in the online application form.
ERP Express—Laboratory Equipment
Sustainability and Energy Management (SEM) and the School of Medicine (SOM) have partnered to offer financial incentives to labs that put DNA and RNA samples into room temperature storage and dispose of old ultra-low temperature freezers. The FY11 Cash for Clunkers program makes it easier for researchers to try room temperature storage technology and earn rebates up to $13,000. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit the SOM sustainability page to learn more about sustainable alternatives to frozen sample storage and download an application form. Researchers outside SOM can also earn cash back through ERP Express for Laboratory Equipment. An application form with details and an FAQ sheet are available online. A full history of the Room Temperature Biological Sample Storage program, including pilot project results, can be found below.
Building HVAC Recommissioning Program
Building HVAC Recommissioning Program
Stanford is systematically reviewing the HVAC systems of 90 of its largest buildings, then adjusting or repairing the systems to ensure they work as designed. Technicians who conduct the reviews also recommend ways to further improve energy performance through ERP projects. At the current pace, the recommissioning of all 90 buildings should be complete by the end of 2010.
Energy Conservation Incentive Program
Energy Conservation Incentive Program
Introduced in spring 2004, this program aims to give schools and administrative units a financial incentive to use less electricity. The program sets a budget based on past consumption and lets participants "cash in" unused kilowatt-hours; those that exceed their electricity budgets pay the difference out of their own funds.
By the end of the program’s third full year, participants collectively used 3 percent less electricity than budgeted—netting a total rebate of $830,000. The program aims to reduce electricity use by 5 percent from a 2003 baseline. A number of schools and administrative units have achieved this goal, but others have had their baselines adjusted upward to accommodate additional electricity use from new buildings and expansions of research-driven activity. See the ECIP website for details.
New Construction Energy-Performance Standard
New Construction Energy-Performance Standard
Design teams working on significant new construction and renovation projects on campus must exceed the California energy performance code (Title 24) by at least 30 percent.
Conservation Cup
Conservation Cup
In the annual Conservation Cup (formerly Energy Bowl and Water Derby), organized by Student Housing and Students for a Sustainable Stanford, dorms and row houses compete to see which can cut energy and water use the most, compared with the previous spring. The contest also rewards residences with the lowest energy and water use on a per-student basis. Get the latest results at the Conservation Cup website.
CFL Giveaway
CFL Giveaway
Student Housing has teamed with Students for a Sustainable Stanford, the Sierra Club and Resource Solutions Group to sponsor one of the nation’s largest campus-based compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) giveaway programs. See the Student Housing Living Green website for details.
Solar Demonstration Projects
Solar Demonstration Projects
The university is running several solar energy demonstration projects:
- The Leslie Shao-ming Sun Field Station at Jasper Ridge has 22-kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal heating systems.
- Synergy House has a 10-kW PV system, partly funded and installed by students and house alumni, who worked with Student Housing on the project.
- Stanford’s Utilities Division installed a 30-kW PV system to offset the energy used for pumping water into storage reservoirs.
- The new Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment + Energy Building showcases three PV installations totaling 12 kW. A planned fourth system will bring production to 15 kW.
- Student Housing operates a solar water heating system at Roth House and has partnered with the Civil and Environmental Engineering department to demonstrate two solar water heating technologies in the Governor’s Corner residence.
- A 40.8-kW PV system supplies electricity to Lou Henry Hoover House, the university president’s residence. To preserve the historic structure and optimize solar gain, the system was installed on the adjacent San Juan Reservoir roof.
While these solar projects don’t supply a significant portion of Stanford’s energy needs, they are valuable. They familiarize faculty, staff and students with the day-to-day operation of solar technologies, as well as help us gather data on performance and determine how the control and monitoring systems can be optimized.
Room Temperature Biological Sample Storage
Room Temperature Biological Sample Storage
Stanford recently completed a pilot project to evaluate a novel technology that promises to reduce energy consumption, achieve sustainability goals, and optimize laboratory space. Using a proprietary stabilization technology, biological samples that are typically stored frozen can be stored at room temperature. Laboratories can reduce dependency on costly freezers and reduce both energy consumption and their carbon footprint. The pilot was designed to assess the current economic and environmental impact of freezer-based storage, provide “hands-on” experience with this new technology, and extrapolate the potential benefit of room temperature biological sample storage to the entire campus. Based on the spring 2009 pilot results, the Department of Sustainability and Energy Management partnered with the School of Medicine to develop and offer a rebate program to incentivize early freezer retirement and adoption of room temperature storage technology.
Initial implementation, results, and the programmatic goals for the next funding cycle can be summarized as follows:
- The Department of Sustainability and Energy Management and the School of Medicine launched a “cash for clunkers” rebate program in fall 2009 to encourage replacement of ultra-low-temperature (-80º) freezers
- Cash incentives were provided for the following actions:
- Freezer retirement without replacement
- Freezer retirement with an energy-efficient replacement and/or room temperature storage conversions
- Placing new samples directly into room temperature storage
- Educational symposium held in March 2010 showcased pilot project success with room temperature storage and increased publicity and awareness
- Program participation in FY10 exceeded expectations with freezer retirement, but did not meet adoption goals for room temperature storage
- The FY11 program will be reshaped to address identified barriers:
- 1st costs of room temperature storage technology
- Labor costs for room temperature storage conversion
- Refocused educational campaign will promote room temperature storage as industry leaders work to develop technology to store proteins, complex samples, assays, and cells
Desktop Power Management Program
Desktop Power Management
Using the Big Fix software already found on most Windows computers on campus, Stanford University encourages you to participate in the Stanford Power Management program. You can reduce your carbon footprint, save energy, and even be eligible to participate in a PG&E; rebate program. Click here to learn about the Desktop Power Management program in more detail.