Energy Projects
On this page:
- Metering Projects
- Energy Performance Contracting
- Shadow Billing
- New Construction
- Cogeneration
- Lighting Upgrades
- Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Projects
- Review & Benchmarking of Utility Operations
In addition to these projects, UIC has established an energy policy and a series of goals to further reduce both wasteful energy consumption and harmful carbon emissions.
Metering Projects
Our facilities management group and utilities director are working on an important project to evaluate existing metering and install meters in our largest, energy-consuming buildings on campus. This will include metering of electricity, steam or high-temperature hot water, and chilled water. Most buildings on the east side of campus are heated in the cold months by high-temperature hot water. Most buildings on the west side of campus are heated by steam. In the summer, cooling is provided by chilled water systems.
The buildings where the meters are being installed comprise 70% of the square footage of our campus buildings and approximately 80% of the energy consumption. Once all the meters are installed or updated, they will feed into a computer system that will allow our building engineers and utilities to monitor the energy consumption and detect unusual trends that could indicate problems with the systems in those buildings. This will allow them to prioritize projects and locate “hot spots” for energy consumption. Also, by having this data, we will have a baseline for evaluating energy projects.
The following buildings are part of the metering project:
- UIC Hospital
- Clinical Sciences Building
- Molecular Biology Research Building
- College of Dentistry
- School of Public Health & Psychiatric Inst.
- Outpatient Care Center
- College of Medicine East Tower
- College of Medicine Research Building
- Clinical Sciences North
- College of Pharmacy
West side
- Science & Engineering South
- Art and Architecture Building
- Physical Education Building
- Science & Engineering Laboratory East
- Science & Engineering Laboratory West
- University Hall
- Behavioral Sciences Building
- Student Services Building
- Engineering Research Facility
- Richard J. Daley Library
- Science & Engineering Offices
East side
As of January 2010, a number of east side buildings' meters are online. Data can be viewed in the reports section of this website.
Energy Performance Contracting
Energy projects have a good return on investment. This means energy service companies can count on predictable energy cost savings to pay back on their investment. “Colleges and universities, often short on cash, find this an ideal option for advancing projects that otherwise would be out of reach. Hiring an energy services company (ESCO) as a contractor to plan, finance, design and implement projects is an effective way to carry out large and expensive initiatives.” (Higher Education in a Warming World) “An ESCO can implement large energy projects that produce positive cash flow and pay for themselves.” (The Green Campus) In the end, the school reaps continuing savings without having any negative numbers on its balance sheet. Many campuses such as the University of Buffalo, Eastern Illinois University and Governor State University have used this mechanism to finance projects.
Pending Board of Trustees (BOT) approval, the campus will utilize energy performance contracting to finance and implement energy conservation and efficiency projects on campus. The buildings most likely to be targeted are those that are part of the metering projects. A joint Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the University has been prepared and is ready for advertisement as soon as BOT approval is granted.
Shadow Billing
One of the many benefits of the metering project is that it will allow the university to report energy consumption back to the colleges and administrative units that occupy space in UIC’s buildings. This will heighten awareness of the real costs of energy utilization, reinforce efforts that we will be taking to promote conservation by students, faculty and staff.
We plan to report this information on the Office of Sustainability website and signage in the buildings. Look for this during the coming academic year.
New Construction
University of Illinois President Joe White has directed that all new construction projects and major renovations meet LEED silver. This is in line with the Green Building Guidelines for State Construction which have been mandated for all new state-funded building construction and major renovations of existing state-owned facilities. Therefore, future new construction, remodeling, and renovation projects of $5 million or greater will be LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certified. New construction, remodeling, and renovations totally less than $5 million should comply with the LEED® Silver requirements to the greatest extent practicable. Therefore, buildings will be constructed to be significantly more energy efficient than the current standards and may utilize renewable energy.
The renovation of Lincoln Hall, completed in 2009, will be at least LEED Silver certified. A geothermal system will be used for heating and cooling. The existing window panels will be removed and replaced with an insulated glass curtain wall. Points will be claimed for proximity to alternative transportation, reducing the heat island effect through a white roof, water efficient landscaping, low flow water fixtures, optimizing energy performance and utilizing on-site renewable energy – possibly photovoltaic cells on the roof, enhanced refrigerant management, recycling of construction waste, building reuse, recycled content in materials, low-emitting materials, and controlled lighting and thermal systems.
The renovation of Douglas Hall, scheduled to begin in 2010, will be at least LEED Silver certified. A geothermal system will be used for heating and cooling. The well field for this system is already being constructed along with the well field for Lincoln Hall. The existing window panels will be removed and replaced with an insulated glass curtain wall. Points will be claimed for proximity to alternative transportation, reducing the heat island effect through a white roof, water efficient landscaping, low flow water fixtures, optimizing energy performance and utilizing on-site renewable energy – possibly photovoltaic cells on the roof, enhanced refrigerant management, recycling of construction waste, building reuse, recycled content in materials, low-emitting materials, and controlled lighting and thermal systems.
Cogeneration
The ability of power plants to purchase fuel at a reduced cost created a unique arrangement for power generation at the University of Illinois. Utility Operations, an independent organization operating within the University, runs its own cogeneration plants on the UIC campus. Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of heat and power in a single thermodynamic process. Instead of discarding the heat produced by the power production process, it is captured and used to provide space heating and hot water heating, thus eliminating the added expense of burning fuels for the sole purpose of space heating. This plant runs primarily on natural gas which is cleaner than coal and fuel oil when considering hazardous air pollutants and carbon dioxide. When operated under certain conditions, cogeneration can be beneficial and helps lower the emission of carbon and sulfur dioxide pollutants into the air.
Lighting Upgrades
By now most of us have heard that replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs can save energy. On campus we have many fluorescent light fixtures (the long bulbs). UIC has been replacing these fixtures with more efficient ones over the last few years with grants from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. Funding from Illinois Clean Energy has totaled almost $1M over the past four years while UIC has contributed over $1M of its own funds to these projects. This year we will be replacing even more and get additional funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in cooperation with Com-Ed. UIC will be replacing T12 fluorescent lighting fixtures with high efficiency electronic ballasts and T8 lamps.
Lighting Upgrade Schedule
| Year | Building | kW Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | University Hall | 125 |
| 2009 | Science and Engineering South | 208 |
| 2009 | Molecular Biology Research Building | 83 |
| 2008 | Behavioral Sciences Building | 30 |
| 2008 | Science & Engineering Office | 253 |
| 2008 | Dentistry | 135 |
| 2007 | University Hall | 220 |
| 2007 | Molecular Biology Research Building | 91 |
| 2007 | Taft Hall | 27 |
| 2007 | Burnham Hall | 29 |
| 2007 | Grant Hall | 9 |
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Projects
Numerous projects are planned and in process to improve HVAC systems across campus. These projects will improve the efficiency of the systems, provide better control of temperatures, and make those areas more comfortable for building occupants.
- Coil Replacements – We are currently performing analysis to determine the scope. This will be to replace heating and cooling coils in various buildings that are in the worst condition.
- Molecular Biology Research Building - Replacing all current air conditioning and heating controls with current state of the art digital controls. This provides the opportunity to better control temperatures throughout the building, allowing for implementation of energy conservation measures.
- Nursing - HVAC System upgrades in the basement through third floor to more efficient units. In addition, direct digital control valves and sensors will replace the old fan coil control valves, allowing for better control of temperatures on these floors.
- Education, Performing Arts and Social Work - HVAC System upgrades are proposed to more install more efficient units.
Building Envelope
The building envelope (i.e. walls, windows, foundations, doors, and roofs) greatly affects how efficient a building will be in maintaining comfortable interior temperatures. Insulation in walls and seals around windows and doors are prime factors.
Low-emittance coatings (microscopically thin, virtually invisible, metal or metallic oxide layers deposited on a window or skylight glazing surface primarily to reduce the U-factor by suppressing radiative heat flow), gas-fills, and insulating spacers and frames can significantly reduce winter heat loss and summer heat gain through windows.
Roofing Projects
Light colored roof coatings are commonly used to reduce the heat load on buildings during the summer. UIC’s roofs have intense solar heat gain (energy) because of their relatively flat exposure to the sun. The intense solar gain raises the temperature of the roof membrane (sometimes near 200°F), which increases cooling load in the building and shortens life of the roof. UIC is lowering its cooling costs and extending roof life by putting a reflective coating on its roofs, as they are reroofed. (Read More)
Also, new thicker insulation will be installed. The insulation will prevent loss of cool air in summer and hot air in winter, reducing the energy demand required for heating and cooling these buildings.
Green roofs are another way to reduce heat load and capture water run-off. A small green roof will be created on the patio/roof surface of Building 628-07 (Art and Architecture). Sections of the elevated plazas that are being replaced on the Behavioral Sciences Building will have greenery.
Window Replacements
Windows will be replaced on the east façade of the College of Medicine West Tower. Windows will be double pane insulated glass thereby significantly reducing the load on the heating and cooling systems and drafts which reduces energy demand.
Review and Benchmark of Utility Operations
An outside vendor will be responsible for conducting a comprehensive review and benchmark of utilities operations on all three campuses, developing and analyzing improvement options, and submitting formal recommendations concerning how utility costs for the University can be reduced and managed through:
- Optimizing the mix of produced and purchased energy
- Cost effective investments in utility production facilities
- Cost effective investments in utility distribution facilities
- Utility consumption reduction measures
- Campus utility metering systems