Aiming for Efficiency with ENERGY STAR

Northwestern has set some ambitious goals for improving energy efficiency in campus facilities, aiming to achieve a 20 percent reduction in energy use intensity (EUI) by 2020. The University’s ongoing partnership with the ENERGY STAR^® program is a key part of efforts to achieve these goals.

Many people are familiar with the ENERGY STAR logo that identifies independently certified energy efficient electronics and appliances. But there is more to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program. ENERGY STAR also offers tools, programs, and resources for creating more energy efficient homes and buildings.  

Northwestern uses one of these tools, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, to track energy use in campus buildings. Facilities Management staff members enter utility bill data into the secure, online tool. The tool displays energy use intensity for each building, meaning the building’s energy use per square foot per year. Portfolio managers also uses energy use data to calculate gas emissions associated with operating individual buildings and the campus as a whole. This information is crucial to the staff members working to manage energy use on campus, allowing staff to measure progress toward energy efficiency and emissions goals.

This tool is also crucial for Northwestern’s participation in local and national efforts to measure and improve energy use in buildings. The University is participating in City of Chicago and City of Evanston energy benchmarking efforts, using Portfolio Manager to track and report data. The tool is also essential to the University’s participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, a leadership initiative aiming to accelerate energy efficient investments nationwide.

This fall, Northwestern will participate an another ENERGY STAR program – the Battle of the Buildings. This event engages building managers in a 90-day competition to see how much energy they can save. Each participating organization selects up to five buildings to compete. Northwestern’s competing building will be the Catalysis Center, 1801 Maple, Technological Institute L Wing, the Tarry Research and Education Building, and Cook Hall. During the competition, which runs from September 1 through November 30, those who study or work in those buildings can pitch in by turning off lights and electronics when not in use and by reporting any heating or cooling issues to Facilities Management.

Of course, all members of the Northwestern community can contribute to efforts to improve energy efficiency on campus, and the ENERGY STAR program offers resources that can help. The ENERGY STAR program identifies a wide range of energy efficient products, including electronics, appliances, office equipment, heating and cooling equipment, and even building materials. The Office of Sustainability recommends looking for products that have earned the ENERGY STAR when making purchase for University departments or for individual use.

To learn more about energy efficiency with ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov.