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In May 2005, Facilities Management and ITS
began their effort to enable the ENERGY STAR power management features on computers
connected to the Smith network. This is also known as the "Million Monitor Drive" or "Sleep
Is Good" campaign. The changes to date have been small, but the potential savings
are huge: 730,000 kWh (3 percent of Smith's total electrical use), $60,000, and 520
tons of carbon dioxide each year.
Smith College is committed to recycling and
waste reduction. Bins and programs for a variety of materials are located throughout
the campus.
In June 2005, the college hired local contractor
KLM to begin replacing missing or damaged insulation on the steam pipes in the tunnels
and manholes. Pipe covering had been removed for service, or by weathering and age.
Estimated savings are 3400 million BTU, $18,600, and 275 tons of CO2 per year.
Increased recycling of materials in renovation
or new construction projects is another important change. Installing the new cogeneration
turbine power facility required deconstruction (instead of demolition) and renovation
of an old heating plant to house the new system. Similar efforts are part of the
site preparation for Ford Hall, the new science and engineering building. Old materials
and scraps from new construction will be sorted and recycled to a projected level
of 90 percent, easing the burden on landfills in the Pioneer Valley and beyond. The
recycling also involves intact removal of items such as windows and doors, which
are donated to area nonprofits including ReStore, a company that sells quality home
improvement materials at very low prices.
Deconstruction of buildings includes the intact removal of
equipment, such as heating and air-conditioning control and feed hardware, that can
be used elsewhere on campus.
Last year, Facilities Management coordinated
a campus-wide temperature setback during winter break. During J-term, all areas with
automatic temperature controls were set back an extra 5ºF. This covered 35 buildings
or 1.25 million square feet. Savings were estimated at 2300 million Btu, $1,400,
and 190 tons of CO2.
The project is budgeted at $100,000 and will
save up to $50,000 a year. The environmental benefits of this project are also huge,
as the electric savings will reduce emissions from power plants supplying our local
grid. We estimate that this project will eliminate the release of 3.5 tons of compounds
that cause smog and acid rain, and 350 tons of carbon dioxide, each year. That greenhouse
gas savings is equivalent to planting 70 acres of forest or taking 80 cars off the
road.
What we had
Existing lighting was metal halide HID (high intensity discharge). HID lighting uses
a ballast to regulate the power applied to a sealed arc tube, where compounds are
vaporized to provide an intense light source. HID lamps can take up to five minutes
to start when cold, and up to 15 minutes to restart when switched off. While these
lamps are much more efficient and last 10 times longer than incandescent, newer
technologies have better efficiency and light quality.
What we looked at
Pulse start metal halide lamps have been developed that generate the same light output
while drawing less current. They also have the advantage of shorter start and restrike
times. Because they were developed primarily for the retail marketplace, they have
improved color rendering, and maintain a more constant light output over time (called
lumen maintenance).
T5 fluorescent lamps are a reasonably new technology,
developed in 1995, and T5HO lamps are suitable for gym lighting. These lamps have
excellent color rendition and lumen maintenance, and the highest lamp efficacy, measured
in lumens per watt, of all the fixtures we considered. Light quality is further improved
because of its diffuse nature, which reduces shadowing. Fluorescent lamps have the
additional advantage of a near-instant start, simplifying the use of occupancy sensors
or other usage-based controls to reduce burn time.
Because the T5HO fluorescent lamps have the highest
efficacy, they have been selected for Ainsworth, Scott, and the Climbing Wall. Each
of these areas will also be retrofit with occupancy sensors, to automatically extinguish
the lights when the rooms are empty. Ainsworth will also have bi-level controls,
with the brightest level reserved for competition play. Each of the spaces will actually
be brighter post-retrofit, even though the wattage will be reduced 67 percent.
Two options are under consideration for the Indoor Track & Tennis
(ITT) Facility. The lights in this space draw the electricity equivalent to a 125-hp
motor, a very substantial load.
Since glare is such an important consideration
when playing tennis, maintaining the indirect light may be the best option. But since
the savings are so much greater with the direct option, both options will be considered
fully, and samples may be installed before a decision is made.
In July 2005, the architectural built-in exit
signs at John M. Greene hall were replaced. This was not a straightforward retrofit,
since these signs were built into existing millwork in such an architecturally sensitive
location. The existing units used two 15-watt incandescent bulbs each, and these
used a tremendous amount of energy, generated excess heat, and burned out often.
Custom LED kits were ordered that fit the existing signs, used just 2 watts each,
and lasted 25+ years. Annual savings are projected to be 6200 kWh, $1000, and 4200
pounds of CO2.
Building Services has taken many steps on the
road to sustainability.
At Cutter-Ziskind we will replace 240 incandescent
75-watt flood lamps with 16-watt compact fluorescent, and 38 incandescent exit signs
with LED's. This will decrease the lighting load by 72 percent (13,700 watts) while
saving 88,600 kWh and $7,300 a year.
This will also reduce the amount of pollutants released
by the power plants that create our electricity. The annual emissions reductions
are 300 pounds of compounds that cause smog and acid rain, and 30 tons of carbon
dioxide which is a greenhouse gas. That savings is equivalent to planting 6 acres
of forest land or taking 7 cars off the road for good.
In addition to the energy savings, we will save on maintenance
as well. The compact fluorescent bulbs are rated to last 8000-12,000 hours, and we
have had several go beyond 14,000 hours. In contrast, incandescent bulbs are rated
for 1000 hours. And although the maintenance savings may not pay off in dollars,
there are many important things our housekeeping staff will do when they're not changing
light bulbs that burn out 6-8 times a year.
There are around 3,000 potential incandescent retrofits
on campus, not counting the desk and table lamps that students bring for
their rooms. |
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