The University has saved more than $10 million on energy costs since 2009 — putting it on track to reduce total energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015.
These savings are largely due to efforts to increase the efficiency of temperature regulation in University buildings, said Christopher Martin, director of UNC’s Energy Management Department.
Beginning in 2009, after the creation of the new Energy Use Policy, administrators began implementing a policy that gave the power of temperature control for a certain building to Energy Management rather than professors themselves.
The Energy Use Policy was implemented to help the University meet a mandate from the N.C. General Assembly to reduce its energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015.
The policy prescribes appropriate building temperature ranges for all of campus, which Energy Management administers.
“We have had to strengthen our priority for energy conservation, and change how we think,” Martin said.
Martin said some of the older buildings on campus are not equipped with the computer control systems necessary to effect these measures. But he said these buildings will be upgraded in the future as funds become available.
Todd Freeman, building commissioning technician for Energy Management, said the department examined the University’s heating systems and machinery before the energy conservation measures were put in place, which ensured their efficiency.
Freeman said this accounted for a large portion of the University’s $10 million in savings.
