Energy & Buildling
Reduction in energy use and in the use of fossil fuels are core components of CSUN’s commitment to sustainability. These reductions can be achieved in three ways – by conservation, efficiencies, and use of renewables. The proposed plan puts a priority on those actions that will lead to conservation and efficiency savings.
Main Strategies
- Improve means to measure, report and communicate energy consumption at a building/unit level
- Improve physical infrastructure to save energy through efficiency and conservation measures
- Increase energy-related education and outreach to students, faculty and staff, and implement program to change behavior
- Increase energy supplied from renewable and clean sources
- Establish and implement strict building standards for new construction
Objectives for 2023
- All buildings to be individually metered for gas, water and electricity
- Retro-commissioning to be completed on all buildings by 2023
- Real-time and historical energy use available online to all campus community by 2018
- Reduction in energy intensity (energy/sq. ft.) of 15% by 2018 and 25% by 2023 over 2012
- Generate 20% on-site by 2018, with 25% on-site generation by 2023
- Increase investment in renewable energy: 10% from renewables by 2023
- All new buildings to meet LEED Gold or higher standard effective 2013
2020-21 Priorities and Outcomes
- Release an RFP for a solar energy project utilizing the CSU Solar IV Master Enabling Agreement.
- An RFP for 4-5MW of solar PV on CSUN's parking structure rooftops is under development, and expected to be released for bid during the summer of 2021.
- Expand Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) to additional buildings and continue monitoring existing buildings with FDD.
- Fault Detection and Diagnostics has been expanded to Chaparral Hall, Manzanita Hall, Bayramian Hall, and Jacaranda Hall, bringing the total to 10 buildings. This technology has already helped locate blown ductwork and other maintenance needs within these buildings. View a sample report from the FDD tool here.
- Continue lighting audits for campus buildings.
- Lighting audits have been completed on 31 campus buildings, which involved recording the type and quantity of every light fixture in and on the building. These audits pave the way for LED lighting retrofits.
- Begin campus-wide LED lighting phase 2.
- LED lighting upgrades have been completed in thirteen campus buildings. Once all 31 buildings are complete, these changes are expected to save the campus $1.2 million in annual electricity costs, as well as over 2,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases each year. Due to minimum on-campus occupancy due to COVID-19, this project was greatly accelerated and is expected to be complete by the end of August, 2021.
Other Highlights
- CSUN was recognized by the LA Better Buildings Challenge in their 7th annual Innovation Awards for our work in energy conservation, specifically our Campus-Wide LED Lighting Project.
- Due to low on-campus occupancy, a large number of devices including vending machines, water coolers, minifridges, computers, monitors, and other equipment were shut down and unplugged to save energy since they were not in use. Notices were also sent to department representatives encouraging them to shut off energy-intensive equipment in their office space while it remains unoccupied.
- Additionally, in and effort to reduce utility costs and energy consumption during the pandemic, temperature ranges in unoccupied buildings were expanded.
- For the few in-person classes that were held, Facilities worked with Academic Affairs to schedule these in higher-use buildings to avoid unnecessary HVAC usage.
2021-22 Priorities
- Increase solar PV generation capacity.
- Continue the expansion of Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) to additional buildings and continue monitoring existing buildings with FDD.
- Select and utilize a project impact tracking tool such as GRITS to track the ongoing impact of sustainability infrastructure projects.
- Create and launch a program targeting power consumption in computer labs with the goal of reducing power consumption.
Other
Flow Meters and Temp Sensors
Issue:
EN1.1
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Install flow meters and temperature sensors throughout campus to monitor heat and A.C. energy consumption for individual buildings/units.
Status:
Campus Buildings and Programming EMS System completed.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM
Next/Action Items:
In-progress. USU to install Building Level flow meter and temp sensors.
Electric Meters
Issue:
EN1.2
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Install electric meters for individual buildings/units to monitor electricity consumption.
Status:
Chargeback Meters to be installed: Sierra Center, Bookstore, Arbor Court, USU, AS Recycling, Orange Grove Bistro, Parking Lots / Structure.
USU Meters: Investigating energy and water metering on 9 buildings.
Campus Building Meters installed: Oviatt, Jerome, Sierra Tower, Sierra South, Bayramian, Science 1, 2, 3, 4, University Hall for this year.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM
Next/Action Items:
In-progress. Need to determine funding source for housing meters.
Real-Time Energy Monitoring
Issue:
EN1.3
Priority:
2
Strategy:
Real-time monitoring of energy consumption via Siemens building automation energy management system install
Status:
Siemens Advantage is being implemented as a utility tracking and analytics system. This system will also be gathering data from any available meters.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM, IS, PTG
Next/Action Items:
In-progress. Need to continue installation of meters to improve real-time energy monitoring.
Prioritize Retro-commissioning
Issue:
EN2.1
Priority:
2
Strategy:
Utilize energy consumption data to identify buildings/units with above average energy consumption. Prioritize retro-commissioning on existing buildings based on these data
Status:
Central Plant Retro-commissioning has been completed.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM, IS
Next/Action Items:
On-going. Need to develop a list of buildings to be retro-commissioned and prioritize that list.
Energy Audits
Issue:
EN2.2
Priority:
2
Strategy:
Conduct energy audits on all buildings
Status:
Campus will be moving forward with the Strategic Energy Plan. This will also contribute to the CAP. Students in sustainability course are working on parts of the CAP that will touch on energy.
Party Responsible:
PPM
Next/Action Items:
FDPC and PPM to work with a consulting company to develop the SEP. FDPC and IS will work with Faculty and students to develop sections of CAP.
Prioritize Improvements Building Retrofits
Issue:
EN2.3
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Prioritize energy efficiency improvements (insulation, double-paned windows, window shading, thermostat locations etc.) and begin improvement projects.
Status:
Central Plant Retro-commissioning has been completed.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM
Next/Action Items:
On-going. Need to develop a list of buildings to be retro-commissioned and prioritize that list.
Automated Scheduling EMS to EMS
Issue:
Priority:
Strategy:
Status:
IT to work with Room Reservations to coordinate implementation.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM, IT
Next/Action Items:
PPM will work with IT to integrate the two systems, and integrate with GIS.
Lighting Upgrades
Issue:
EN2.4
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Evaluate existing research and recommendations on outside lighting and begin upgrades.
Status:
Cleary Walk, Lindley, Redwood North walkway and streetlights completed. 75 of 607 campus walkway fixtures retrofitted with LED. Prairie and Plummer streets and an additional 50-60 walkway lights will be done over the summer break. USU completed East Conference Center, Wellness Center with Lighting upgrades. Sol center is 80% LED now. All new buildings will be LED.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM
Next/Action Items:
On-going. Continue implementation.
Indoor Lightning Assessment
Issue:
EN2.5
Priority:
2
Strategy:
Conduct assessment of indoor lighting
Status:
Students have inventoried 5 campus buildings and all exterior street and walkway lights.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM, IS
Next/Action Items:
In-progress.
Power Consumption Assessment
Issue:
EN2.6
Priority:
2
Strategy:
Conduct assessment of power consumption from plug-in loads including IT and lab equipment
Status:
Campus will be moving forward with the Strategic Energy Plan. This will also contribute to the CAP. Students in sustainability course are working on parts of the CAP that will touch on energy.
Party Responsible:
PPM, IS, Academic Departments
Next/Action Items:
In-progress.
Reduce Office & Lab Computer Power Consumption
Issue:
EN2.7
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Reduce power consumption from office and lab computers.
Status:
All computer models that IT and Purchasing provide as options have the capability of being put to sleep automatically. IT uses this functionality for the areas that they support.
Party Responsible:
IT, IS, PTG, College Techs, USU IT
Next/Action Items:
On-going. Need to ensure all campus computers are using this sleep function.
Motion- Detection Swtiches
Issue:
EN2.8
Priority:
3
Strategy:
Install motion-detection light switches in classrooms to turn off lights when not in use
Status:
Enlighten Lighting Controls is being piloted in University Hall FPDC office and corridor.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM
Next/Action Items:
In-progress.
Implement Sustainable Office Program
Issue:
EN3.1
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Implement Sustainable Office Program (SOP) throughout campus offices, including educational workshops for office staff on sustainability measures that can be taken
Status:
Party Responsible:
AS, IS, FPDC
Next/Action Items:
In-progress. Need to gain more campus interest and participation.
Energy Use Web Page
Issue:
EN3.2
Priority:
3
Strategy:
Implement real-time and historical energy use reporting via web page
Status:
Potential to use Advantage software for dashboards and webpage.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM, IS
Next/Action Items:
In-progress.
Dashboard Monitors
Issue:
EN3.3
Priority:
2
Strategy:
Assess strategies for reducing energy consumption through education including the installation of dashboard monitors displaying energy use data in real-time in prominent locations on campus and in student housing
Status:
There have been no dashboards installed, but there is potential to use Advantage for this application.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM, IS, Housing
Next/Action Items:
In-progress.
User Behavior
Issue:
EN3.4
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Promote more sustainable user behavior within the campus through energy conservation incentives, competitions, and other initiatives.
Status:
FDPC/IS has worked with VISCOM to help promote sustainability on campus and target user behavior through several outlets: switch plate covers, signage, social media, website, etc.
The MataSphere advocate these initiatives through the living learning community.
Party Responsible:
PPM, IS, Housing, AS
Next/Action Items:
On-going.
Initiatives and Competitions
Issue:
EN3.5
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Participate in national energy conservation initiatives and competitions
Status:
Student Housing participated in Campus Conservation Nationals and created a competition between the different dorms.
Party Responsible:
Housing, IS
Next/Action Items:
On-going. Need to identify funding for upgraded building meters to more easily and accurately compete.
Consumption Data Visible
Issue:
EN3.6
Priority:
1
Strategy:
Post energy-consumption related information at visible locations around campus.
Status:
See EN3.2
Party Responsible:
IS
Next/Action Items:
In-progress.
Solar Thermal Analysis
Issue:
EN4.1
Priority:
3
Strategy:
Conduct analysis of potential for solar thermal hot water heating
Status:
The University has not looked into this yet, but it will be evaluated as part of the SEP. There are also incentives for these projects through Go Solar California.
Party Responsible:
FPDC, PPM, IS
Next/Action Items:
In-progress.
Invest in Renewable Energy
Issue:
EN4.2
Priority:
3
Strategy:
Increase investment in renewable energy technologies that can be integrated into academic and research programs
Status:
No new PV installed, but discussions on expanding CSUN’s PV have begun. The University is moving PV from the Boeing Site to Jacaranda hall. PV to be installed on the Sustainability Center.
Party Responsible:
Faculty, FPDC
Next/Action Items:
On-going. Investigate the feasibility of doing solar on parking structures, and other buildings as well as the thin film technology.
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