The University of Texas at Dallas
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.20 / 6.00 |
Gary
Cocke Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 94,421,479.60 Kilowatt-hours | 322,166.09 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 340,432 Kilowatt-hours | 1,161.55 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 390,689.34 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 0 MMBtu |
Total site energy consumption, performance year:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
| Floor area | |
| Laboratory space | 877,345.89 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 0 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Degree days, performance year:
| Degree days | |
| Heating degree days | 2,182 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 2,492 Degree-Days (°F) |
Total degree days, performance year:
Start and end dates of the performance year (or 3-year period):
| Start date | End date | |
| Performance period | Sept. 1, 2020 | Aug. 31, 2021 |
Total site energy consumption per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
Electricity use, baseline year (report kWh):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 59,138,431 Kilowatt-hours | 201,780.33 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 0 Kilowatt-hours | 0 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, baseline year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 6,778.35 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 0 MMBtu |
Total site energy consumption, baseline year:
Gross floor area of building space, baseline year:
Start and end dates of the baseline year (or 3-year period):
| Start date | End date | |
| Baseline period | Sept. 1, 2006 | Aug. 31, 2007 |
A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
The baseline year was chosen because it preceeds a recent construction boom that has more than doubled the campus square footage with larger, modern, energy-efficient buildings.
Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Site energy | Source energy | |
| Performance year | 0.10 MMBtu per square foot | 0.20 MMBtu per square foot |
| Baseline year | 0.08 MMBtu per square foot | 0.23 MMBtu per square foot |
Percentage reduction in total source energy consumption per unit of floor area from baseline:
Documentation to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency:
- Green Office Certification trains staff on how to change their workplace to be more energy efficient and sustainable
- Earth Week includes multiple events that teach students about sustainability and an Earth Fair for sustainability organizations and businesses
- AASHE Sustainability Month is held every October and catalyzes students to act through a variety of sustainability related events
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
Facilities Management maintains all HVAC systems at the set points of 74 in summer and 72 in winter. When it does not effect operations, HVAC systems are turned off at night. Approximately 60% of campus HVAC is turned off every night.
Construction standards for all new buildings at UT Dallas include occupancy sensors and LED exterior lighting.
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
UT Dallas is committed to energy conservation and transitioning away from high energy use lighting. Revolving Fund is utilized to fund LED retrofits throughout campus. The construction standards require LED’s for exterior lighting. The Research and Operations Center West and Bio engineering Science Building are LED only buildings.
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
The LEED Platinum Student Service Building utilizes a solar thermal hot water system.
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
UT Dallas utilizes a 3.5 kW co-generation plant for power outages. Other than for planned and/or unplanned outages, the plant is not in daily operation.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
UT Dallas has 3-5 capital projects per year upgrading systems to more efficient alternatives. These projects are implemented by FM Building. Upgrades to constant volume HVAC systems are taking place to convert buildings to VAV with VFD. The Central Energy Plant is also being upgraded with a new chill water pump that will be higher efficiency.
Website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
FY2021 natural gas usage was significantly increased due to the February 2021 blackouts that occurred across the ERCOT grid. During this period, our Central Energy Plant was used to produce power for campus, as it does in case of all blackouts. The Central Energy Plant uses natural gas to produce this energy. This significantly increased our natural gas usage during FY2021 from the approximate 91,000 MMBtus used in FY2018.
FY2021 natural gas usage was significantly increased due to the February 2021 blackouts that occurred across the ERCOT grid. During this period, our Central Energy Plant was used to produce power for campus, as it does in case of all blackouts. The Central Energy Plant uses natural gas to produce this energy. This significantly increased our natural gas usage during FY2021 from the approximate 91,000 MMBtus used in FY2018.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.