Utilities and Energy Management (UEM) is responsible for purchasing and tracking energy for all University buildings. UEM was recently awarded two grants by the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) that will assist the University with improving energy awareness, energy efficiency and carbon reduction.
The NYSERDA Self-Direct program administered by RG&E awarded the University $106,824 to purchase an Energy Management Information System (EMIS). The EMIS software will allow UEM to better record, visualize, and analyze where, when, and how energy is being produced and consumed across campuses. It provides the means to make subsets of this data available via web pages to facility managers, faculty, staff and students. This will enable facility managers to make more informed decisions about how to operate their buildings by seeing energy impacts in near-real-time. Faculty, students, and staff will have access to building energy use data to assist with academic research and to encourage building occupants to make energy conscious decisions. Data can be visualized in graphs, charts, and tables in units of energy or carbon. The EMIS has additional non-public features that will assist UEM with energy management, analytics, reporting, measurement and verification to improve department capabilities, efficiency, and proficiency.
The NYSERDA Self-Direct grant has a second component which will assist with the purchase and repair of faulty or missing energy sub-meters in the medical center. The program will make $320,472 available to install new energy sub-meters in the Medical Center over the next three years. This portion of the grant is contingent upon being able to leverage the EMIS to achieve targeted electric savings.
The NYSERDA Real Time Energy Management (RTEM) program has awarded the University $201,487 over the next five years to upgrade controls in its boiler plant located between River Campus and the Medical Center. The new system will provide better control and insights over plant operations which will allow UEM to make better operational decisions resulting in improved efficiency and reduced carbon footprint.
With the technology received through these grants, UEM will engage the University community in energy efficiency awareness and help lower the overall carbon footprint.
Written by Tim Vann, Energy Engineer
nice thank you
Katherine- Thanks for your interest. According to the energy manager, it should be up and running by the end of the fall semester.
Improving energy awareness, energy efficiency and carbon reduction really is the need of the hour. Lowering the carbon footprint and utilising the resources to their max is really necessary.
When will this information system be running/ data be available?