Tag: Engineering

Transforming Campus Energy Use

 

Milwaukee Area Technical College’s downtown campus lies several blocks west of the Milwaukee River in the Westown neighborhood, an area shared by libraries and museums, restaurants and bars, and of course, Fiserv Forum, home to the Milwaukee Bucks. The downtown campus—together with satellite campuses in Oak Creek, Mequon, West Allis, and an Education Center in Walker’s Square—serve over 28,000 students annually and offer associate degrees and various technical training programs across diverse disciplines including manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, and television production.

Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College

The construction and sustainability teams at MATC, who renovate both modern and historical buildings, are keenly aware of the maintenance efforts and energy expenditure requirements of keeping their facilities running. In recent years, the reduction of carbon emissions at their facilities has emerged as a top priority, and they have made the ambitious commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030. To achieve this goal, MATC hired HGA’s Madison, WI office to complete an Integrated Energy Master Plan (IEMP).

Integrated Energy Master Plans come in many flavors depending on the client, the status of their facilities, and goals, but the theory remains consistent across all client types: building systems and energy use are reviewed, energy reduction strategies are formed, associated costs are calculated, and strategies are laid out into a timeline amenable to the client. These timelines vary in aggressiveness but are often structured around equipment replacement and funding cycles, among other constraints.  

Carbon emissions have emerged as an essential consideration in energy reduction plans like IEMP’s as institutions commit to carbon reduction goals and—more critically—attempt to meet them.  

Goals & Strategy 

These plans are only as effective as their implementation, and an IEMP won’t receive the funds it requires without the backing of organizational leadership. At MATC, the facilities and sustainability teams provided support for and championed the process, laying out clear and concise goals that the IEMP would map out: 

Mind map IMEP Goals

To reach their emissions goals, MATC prioritized the emissions reductions strategies to maximize carbon reductions per dollar spent. Emissions avoidance was the first priority, followed by reduction and procurement of renewable energy and carbon offsets. In the writing of the IEMP, HGA was to provide recommendations in alignment with those priorities.  

Higher education facilities renovations are constrained not only by budgetary cycles and board approvals, but also by academic schedules. Keeping the renovations localized and phased allows not only for budgetary flexibility but also allows MATC to keep certain areas open for student access while adjacent areas are under construction, leading to minimal disruptions for students and faculty. This piecemeal approach is necessary to gradually transform their campus to a more energy efficient and more comfortable learning environment.  

Impact & Challenges 

MATC has already completed a number of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects identified by HGA in the IEMP. The types of projects vary in size, ranging from simple lighting or classroom renovations to kitchen, lab, and administrative office renovations, and large equipment and mechanical systems replacements. In all projects equipment controls are updated and existing lighting is replaced with LED.  

Improving energy efficiency, while not as “glamorous”  as focusing on geothermal or photovoltaic, is the first line strategy for carbon reduction. These smaller efficiency projects also free up funding that can be directed towards larger capital projects—for MATC that included upgrading the Mequon Campus to a geothermal system and the conversion of the Downtown Campus from steam to hot water.

The College faces challenges familiar to anyone who works on or in buildings of pre-1970’s vintages, including the discovery of asbestos (leading to project detours), incomplete documentation of the original building or renovations that have occurred since, and the technical hurdles one uncovers when combining new systems with existing systems.  

Institutional Advantage 

Having provided commissioning and retro-commissioning for MATC prior to the IEMP, HGA has a deep understanding not only of the projects that were commissioned, but also the facilities in which they were constructed, the plants that serve them, and the building automation system that monitors them. Since upgraded systems and equipment can only reduce energy if the systems and equipment are operating according to design, MATC continues to commission HGA to help ensure the goals of the IEMP are reached. The ongoing partnership between MATC and HGA helps grow our institutional knowledge of the College’s facilities, which leads to better insights in our continued IEMP and commissioning work with the College. 

HGA presented MATC its completed Integrated Energy Master Plan in 2019. Four years and many projects later, the results of the IEMP are evident: MATC has grown their already sizeable energy expertise with the addition of an Energy Manager position, the facility rooms and corridors are showing a new level of vibrancy and brightness, and equipment replacements provide more reliable and efficient thermal comfort. To help continue this transformation, HGA is excited to be once again working with the College to review their progress towards zero carbon emissions by 2030 and update the IEMP to account for completed projects, campus changes, and evolutions in the clean energy market.  

We value our partnership with HGA and the work they have done for us. HGA has taken the time to understand our values, tailoring a path for us to meet our sustainability and energy goals. We look forward to our continued collaboration. -Laura Tenpenny, Energy Manager, MATC

What Can HGA Do for You? 

Milwaukee Area Technical College’s steady progression towards achieving a net-zero carbon footprint represents a model for all educational institutions, regardless of size. The replication of these efforts by other colleges and universities will be integral to advancing us towards a society that is net-zero in carbon emissions.  

A successful IEMP implementation is a multifaceted process and requires a shared and ongoing effort between those who created the plan and those who execute it. The building performance specialists at HGA can aid at any point, having the expertise to work with institutions to prioritize goals, confirm costs, and establish timelines to develop a plan for execution bolstered by our continued participation. For carbon reduction strategies requiring larger capital projects, our talented teams of architects and engineers can design new facilities or remodel existing ones to meet institutional carbon and energy reduction goals.  

 

About the Author

Drew Dillmann is a Building Performance Specialist with experience in a wide range of building and system types, with a special focus on energy efficiency and commissioning.