The University of Maine System System-wide Energy & Environmental Sustainability Initiatives Report

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1 The University of Maine System System-wide Energy & Environmental Sustainability Initiatives Report

2 Executive Summary Established in 1968, the University of Maine System is comprised of seven distinct universities, some with multiple campuses. With an enrollment headcount in excess of 30,000 students, it is the State of Maine s largest educational enterprise. The System, much like higher education institutions nationally and globally, has experienced extraordinary energy price inflation and volatility over the last several years. Unlike its many national and global peers, these challenges have been compounded by a historical lack of viable and readily available energy supply alternatives, particularly in a state that has traditionally been heavily dependent on fuel oil for much of its energy needs. Together, these factors have significantly increasing implications and have underscored the vital importance of energy to the University of Maine System s education, research, and public service mission; as an essential service in the delivery of the mission, as an environmental impact, and as a cost driver to the institution.

3 Executive Summary In response to these market demands, the universities have collectively and individually pursued projects and initiatives that have lessened the System s environmental impact and helped to ensure the continued affordability of education to the citizens of the State of Maine, while allowing for allocation of resources to the research enterprise and public service mission that serves Maine s citizens and businesses. This report illustrates and highlights some of the many system-wide actions and accomplishments: System-wide gross carbon emissions have been reduced by 25 percent since Implemented supply-side projects have included conversions to natural gas, combined heat and power, and nearly every type of renewable alternative energy source, including: solar, geothermal, biomass, wind, and air-source heat pumps. Demand-side projects have included building envelope, variable speed drives, lighting, water conservation and heat recovery. Upcoming noteworthy projects include: expanded geothermal at UMF, biomass central heating plant conversion at UMFK, central steam plant upgrades at USM, and landfill gas at UMaine. Energy efficiency, conservation, and sustainability efforts are ongoing on every campus. New and updated projects will save the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of gallons of heating oil annually.

4 Overview In 2010, the University of Maine System formed the Collaborative System-wide Energy Management Committee, comprised of one representative from the University of Maine System office and one from each of the seven universities in the system. The purpose of the System Energy Team is to serve as an enterprise-wide virtual energy manager. This objective is achieved through a collaborative effort by each of the universities in communicating and sharing their respective information, available resources, expertise, and perspectives in seeking to identify and realize opportunities for improving both supply and demand side energy management, and continuing the significant improvements made to date with respect to environmental stewardship across the seven universities of the University of Maine System. In 2011, the System Energy Team prepared the System-wide Energy & Environmental Sustainability Initiatives report in order to represent its collective and individual actions across the depth and breadth of the System. Today, this presentation builds upon these past accomplishments and reflects the new initiatives and opportunities the System Energy Team pursues.

5 Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels, & Innovation Collaborative Energy Procurement: Fuel Oil Working through the UMS Office of Strategic Procurement, three universities locked fuel oil prices as a hedge against price volatility. This chart shows the price of #2 heating oil from May 2012 through December 2012, and the period in which a strategic hedge was implemented. Savings in excess of $180,000 were realized relative to the average spot market price that would have been paid for the associated quantities of fuel oil in the FY2013 heating season.

6 Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels, & Innovation Collaborative Energy Procurement: Alternative Fuels The UMS Office of Strategic Procurement advertised a Request for Proposals for alternative fuel sources for the Universities of Maine at Augusta, Presque Isle, Farmington, and Machias. The RFP seeks alternatives to #2 heating oil and is open to any alternative fuel source. This project has the potential to replace approximately 800,000 gallons of heating oil. Competitive proposals have been received for each of the respective university campuses some receiving multiple proposals. Gaseous fuel solutions include pipeline natural gas and compressed natural gas (CNG). These solutions offer the promise of significant cost savings and environmental emissions reductions, as well as improved heating reliability and fuel diversity as a hedge against future fuel price volatility. Awards are pending.

7 Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels, & Innovation The Pellet Boiler UMFK Pellet Boiler Project: The Pellet Boiler beside the 1973 Oil Boiler Site-glass view inside the Pellet Boiler This project is the installation of a 650KW pellet boiler, which serves as a base-load hot water boiler to the gymnasium. The boiler is offsetting 75% of the gym s average annual fuel oil consumption, in excess of 16,000 gallons per year. Additionally, the boiler s capacity is sufficient to offset approximately 25% of the heating demand in the Lodge, equivalent to nearly 4,000 gallons per year. Avoided energy costs attributable to the project have exceeded $45,000 over the last year.

8 Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels, & Innovation UMA-Bangor Natural Gas Conversions Through the collective efforts of the System-wide Energy Team s members, the University of Maine at Augusta successfully negotiated a natural gas service contract for its UMA-Bangor campus. The conversion from #2 fuel oil to natural gas has replaced approximately 70,000 gallons of fuel oil per year serving eight buildings on the campus, and an adjacent University of Maine Cooperative Extension building. The boilers have retained #2 fuel oil capability, ensuring reliability, fuel supply diversity, and protection against potential costs from future natural gas price increases. This investment is resulting in a 27% reduction in carbon emissions and in excess of $100,000 per year, for an expected 1.5 year return on investment.

9 Energy Efficiency, Conservation, & Optimization USM Water Conservation Project: USM put their Greenfund to work, replacing over 300 shower heads with a low-flow model that has proven popular during oncampus testing. The project will save over 3 million gallons of water per year resulting in a cost savings of nearly $50,000 in reduced water/sewer and heating charges. The project cost less than $20,000 for a payback in just four months.

10 Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels, & Innovation Alumni Center Solar Hot Water A solar thermal domestic hot water system was recently installed at the Alumni Center on the University of Maine at Augusta. This renewable energy system, which displaces the consumption of fossil fuels, provides hot water to the Photography Studio for film processing, and provides domestic hot water for general use within the building.

11 Energy Efficiency, Conservation, & Optimization Since 2006 the University of Maine at Machias has reduced its Carbon Footprint by 44% Recent campus energy measures have been implemented in Kilburn Commons, Reynolds Center athletics complex, the O Brien House, Dorward Hall, Torrey Hall and Sennett Hall, and have included: energy management and building control systems high efficiency gas and/or oil, staged boiler installations HVAC air handling and variable speed pump installations LED lighting retro-fits, including dark-sky downlighting Single pane, un-insulated glass window replacements

12 Energy Efficiency, Conservation, & Optimization The Costello Sports Complex Lighting Project Partially funded by Efficiency Maine, this project replaced the existing metal halide with fluorescent high bay fixtures and wireless controls, and including the ice arena and basketball court. The astonishing electrical savings are evident in the graph below that shows total power use in the Field House.

13 Energy Efficiency, Conservation, & Optimization The University of Maine at Presque Isle has a comprehensive host of projects recently completed and in development, including the following energy and sustainability initiatives: Building envelope improvements including new windows and building insulation. Wind turbine optimization. Folsom and Pullen heat pumps, wood biomass boiler project, and solar photovoltaic project. New, more efficient boiler installations, and insulation of thermal mechanical spaces and equipment. Exterior LED lighting.

14 Energy Efficiency, Conservation, & Optimization Since 2006 the seven Universities have cumulatively reduced their total Carbon Footprint by 25%. System-wide Energy and Environmental Performance Trends For the industry benchmark performance metric of MTCDE/Student FTE, UMS lowered its average to 3.3. The peer average in FY12 was 5.46 MTCDE/Student FTE. UMS Total Gross Emissions

15 Energy Efficiency, Conservation, & Optimization Garage Lighting Project USM replaced the existing 250 HID garage lights with a unique fluorescent fixture reducing power from 210 to 70 watts while improving the appearance and eliminating glare. The project will save an annual 400,000 kwh s and over $40,000.

16 Sustainable Building Design and Construction The Emera Astronomy Center is currently in design, with scheduled completion in This project entails the relocation of the Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium to a new, state of the art facility. The Center s sustainable energy features will include: A closed-loop geothermal ground-source heating and cooling system, which will have a design capacity to serve the building s base load. Emera Astronomy Center An integrated electrical thermal storage system, which will supplement the geothermal system during peak loads.

17 Sustainable Building Design and Construction The Emery Community Arts Center at the University of Maine at Farmington is a 20,516 square foot facility, incorporating sustainable design and construction features, including 100% geothermal heating and cooling capacity. Through the energy measures incorporated in the building design, the Center is expected to realize 10,750 gallons of fuel oil per year in avoided consumption. This energy reduction will result in an avoidance of 120 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

18 Outreach, Advocacy, and Public Service University of Maine Composting Facility A joint collaboration between the University of Maine Dining Services and University of Maine Cooperative Extension will establish the first facility for advanced composting of food waste in Maine. The effort involves the installation of a 10- foot by 40-foot enclosed, automated composter. This unique facility has the potential to convert more than 1 ton of organic waste per day from campus dining facilities into a rich soil amendment that will be used in UMaine landscaping and on university crop fields.

19 Outreach, Advocacy, and Public Service The Tiny Trash Initiative - Conventional desk side trash cans were removed from offices and cubicles of USM employees and replaced with a small, 32 oz desktop trash can called a Tiny Trash. Employees were asked to empty their own Tiny Trash into communal waste stations. Building custodians empty desk side recycling bins when needed. This award-winning program is proven to save money by encouraging recycling (which costs less for the University to dispose of than does trash), reduces use and costs associated with plastic bags, reduces replacement costs of desk side trash cans, encourages staffers to take mini-breaks and get up from their desks, and reallocates custodial labor to more essential cleaning tasks.

20 Outreach, Advocacy, and Public Service UMF Sandy River Composting Collaborative The UMF/Sandy River Composting Collaborative (UMFSRCC) is a collection of individuals from Sandy River Recycling Association (SRRA), UMF, Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), the town of Farmington and Aramark Dining Services all collaborating to compost the excess food from local businesses in Farmington. UMFSRCC has a vision towards minimal food waste in the Farmington area. The goal is to increase the quantity of composted materials through increased community participation and achieve a corresponding reduction in landfilled materials. This vision will be implemented through outreach to local businesses and by demonstrating the value of composting through the resulting financial savings, environmental benefits, and promotion of their business as an environmental leader.

21 Outreach, Advocacy, and Public Service In 2011, the University of Maine joined the growing number of communities that made the shift to singlestream recycling through a program by Casella, called Zero-Sort. This system simplifies recycling for the entire campus community by accepting a wider variety of materials and allowing them to all be placed in one container. Zero-Sort has proven to show increased participation and improved recycling rates, and has contributed to decreased waste production. In total since 2007 Campus trash generation has decreased by 35%... a difference of over 1,000,000 pounds per year. the campus recycling rate for common household materials has increased by 46%.

22 The Path Forward: Commitment, Planning, Implementation Celebrating Five Years of Climate Leadership Each campus President of the University of Maine System signed the Presidents Climate Commitment. The seven universities joined the greater than 670 colleges and universities that have signed to date, recognizing their unique responsibility to serve as role models for their communities and to develop solutions to reverse global warming. Each institution pledges to develop and implement a plan for carbon neutrality.

23 Thank you for your time and attention