| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.20 |
| Liaison | Olivia Shehan |
| Submission Date | Dec. 24, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Wellesley College
OP-8: Building Energy Consumption
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.97 / 6.00 |
Patrick
Willoughby Sustainability Director Facilities |
Total building energy consumption, all sources (transportation fuels excluded):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total building energy consumption | 381,288 MMBtu | 577,055.55 MMBtu |
Purchased electricity and steam:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Grid-purchased electricity | 26,504.31 MMBtu | 2,331 MMBtu |
| District steam/hot water | 0 MMBtu | 0 MMBtu |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 2,539,500 Gross square feet | 2,462,855 Gross square feet |
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year::
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 69,206 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 4,900 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space |
Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F)::
| Degree days (see help icon above) | |
| Heating degree days | 7,064 |
| Cooling degree days | 748 |
Source-site ratios::
| Source-Site Ratio (see help icon above) | |
| Grid-purchased electricity | 2.44 |
| District steam/hot water | 1 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods)::
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2005 | June 30, 2006 |
A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted:
A brief description of any building temperature standards employed by the institution:
During winter session when fewer students remain on campus for optional January classes, it is mandatory for leaving students to close the blinds and lower the thermostat/ turn off heat in their dorm rooms as the remaining students are moved into one complex such that significantly fewer buildings must remain heated. All appliances must also be unplugged during this time. This policy is a collaborative effort between the Office of Sustainability and Facilities, including Custodial Services and Residential Life.
Additionally, in the Office of Sustainability, we have installed a Nest Thermostat, which is able to be controlled by wi-fi and programmed to schedules that are conducive to saving energy and cost. The thermostat reduces its energy output when no one is present in a room, and then sets itself to a comfortable temperature when the room is full. After we test this in our office, we are looking to install these thermostats in several smaller building locations.
A brief description of any light emitting diode (LED) lighting employed by the institution:
The Office of Sustainability has made sure to continue to replace lamps in the Wellesley College lanterns with high efficiency LED lamps, which reduce electrical consumption by over 50%. In addition, as much as budget allows, student room lights are now being replaced with LEDs as well, which will lower energy consumption from 54 watts to 22 watts per fixture. The quality of the lights also improve with these renovations.
We are in the process of replacing approximately 200 street lights with LED street lights custom fit to Wellesley College's distinctive lamp posts. There are 52 LEDs in the College Club. We have also put in LEDs in the sustainable co-op house (SCOOP), Dower, Jewett Auditorium, Grounds Motor Pool Area, as well as in the Office of Sustainability; with high ambient temperate LED lights in the power plant (which must remain on 24/7) and flat panel LEDS in the distribution center office areas. The Grounds Green Fund is targeting many other lighting projects as well.
A brief description of any occupancy and/or vacancy sensors employed by the institution:
We have multiple buildings utilizing this technology. All exterior lights are controlled by photo sensors, avoiding staying on during daylight hours. Some residence hall bathrooms and different places in the science center. No one building is completely controlled by sensor technology.
A brief description of any passive solar heating employed by the institution:
Our college employs green roofs over parts of our campus center, Alumnae Hall, and our Water Treatment Vault, and at our Power Plant, which assist in passive cooling.
A brief description of any ground-source heat pumps employed by the institution:
Wellesley does not yet have any ground-source heat pumps although the possible benefits of such technology are currently being explored.
A brief description of any cogeneration technologies employed by the institution:
95% of the college's electrical energy this year. The college has an ability to island if necessary, but we have agreed to purchase 5% of our electrical energy as renewable through the town. We do use the waste heat from cogeneration for electricity, to produce steam, domestic hot water, and chill water through absorption chillers. Cogen utilizes almost 50% of total energy from the performance year, using natural gas, which is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. Further, the campus utilizes natural gas in its boilers and has significantly reduced its use of number 6 oil.
A brief description of any building recommissioning or retrofit program employed by the institution:
Wellesley College is currently underway in a campus renewal plan which includes building renovation and minor expansion; in doing so, our college is sticking to green building standards as a means of acknowledging and trying to reduce the environmental impact of our existent buildings on campus. A building renovation protocol was created by The Environmental Sustainable Advisory Committee and approved by the trustees October 2014 to ensure our buildings will be renovated by the most sustainable and feasible means possible. Part of our 2025 campus renewal plan is a commitment to bringing existent buildings on campus up to LEED gold standards.
A brief description of any energy metering and management systems employed by the institution:
All major buildings are monitored and controlled by a central energy management system which is password protected can be accessed through multiple locations since it is web based. The technicians can even access from their homes or in remote locations and be able to control the energy system. Our goal is to get all buildings to be sub-metered such that they will actually report back to a web-based system that will allow us to read usage in all buildings remotely.
A brief description of the institution's program to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
College-owned computers are generally replaced every four years and Library and Technology Services works to recycle displaced hardware, donating where possible. LTS also engages in an annual replacement plan to make recommendations for hardware replacement. As computers and other hardware are replaced, higher efficiency models are available and preferred. We are also committed to our electronic products being energy star compliant, efficiency is always part of the decision making process when purchasing equipment.
A brief description of any energy-efficient landscape design initiatives employed by the institution:
Green roofs are used throughout campus, including on our power plant and campus center, as a means of passively reflecting heat away from the building. Many buildings, including our science center, have also planted trees which shade and protect the building.
A brief description of any vending machine sensors, lightless machines, or LED-lit machines employed by the institution:
In all of the residence halls as well as academic buildings, vending machines are on motion sensors. This was implemented as a result of collaboration of a student academic project and facilities.
A brief description of other energy conservation and efficiency initiatives employed by the institution:
We are trying to educate and change behavior so that people will use buildings in a more efficient manner, with initiatives such as light-switch reminders, education programs (including information dispersed at orientation), and brochures.
The website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Our source-site ratio was calculated based on our campus' particular energy data as well as the data we received from our utility, Wellesley Municipal Power and Light.
Our source-site ratio was calculated based on our campus' particular energy data as well as the data we received from our utility, Wellesley Municipal Power and Light.
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.