Honeywell and Merced College kicked off an energy conservation initiative that aims to reduce the school’s annual operating costs by $180,000 through energy-efficient building upgrades.
The program also includes the launch of an enhanced college curriculum focused on teaching conservation strategies that utilize the energy-efficient building upgrades as a real-world case study for classroom learning.
As part of the project, Honeywell will make building infrastructure improvements to 16 campus buildings, including the installation of energy-efficient lighting and upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Overall, these campus building improvements are expected to trim the college’s electricity use by more than 1.5 million kilowatt-hours annually - enough energy to power nearly 180,000 homes.
Merced College and Honeywell will use the school’s energy usage statistics to develop a course curriculum on sustainability, and raise awareness among students of the positive impact conservation practices contribute to the community. As part of this program, using Honeywell’s Energy Management System (EMS), Sustainability Interns will track resource usage in 16 campus buildings. The interns will develop a newsletter to update students, faculty and staff on the program’s progress and help lead additional campus-wide conservation efforts, such as recycling competitions and car-sharing programs.
Honeywell will complete the building system enhancements and future maintenance under a 15-year, $3.1 million performance contract. This will allow school officials to pay for the upgrades using the cost savings generated, which Honeywell guarantees. As a result, the program won’t increase school budgets or require additional funding.
Honeywell will implement a variety of conservation measures across campus buildings, including:
· Sub-meters in 16 campus buildings to provide facility personnel with a more granular view of energy usage throughout campus from a centralized energy management system
· Updated HVAC systems for the gymnasium, student union, theater and computer services building to improve energy efficiency
· High-efficiency lighting for building exteriors and interiors, including light-emitting diode (LED) lights. BD+C
Related Stories
| Jan 4, 2011
Product of the Week: Zinc cladding helps border crossing blend in with surroundings
Zinc panels provide natural-looking, durable cladding for an administrative building and toll canopies at the newly expanded Queenstown Plaza U.S.-Canada border crossing at the Niagara Gorge. Toronto’s Moriyama & Teshima Architects chose the zinc alloy panels for their ability to blend with the structures’ scenic surroundings, as well as for their low maintenance and sustainable qualities. The structures incorporate 14,000 sf of Rheinzink’s branded Angled Standing Seam and Reveal Panels in graphite gray.
| Jan 4, 2011
6 green building trends to watch in 2011
According to a report by New York-based JWT Intelligence, there are six key green building trends to watch in 2011, including: 3D printing, biomimicry, and more transparent and accurate green claims.
| Jan 4, 2011
LEED standards under fire in NYC
This year, for the first time, owners of 25,000 commercial properties in New York must report their buildings’ energy use to the city. However, LEED doesn’t measure energy use and costs, something a growing number of engineers, architects, and landlords insist must be done. Their concerns and a general blossoming of environmental awareness have spawned a host of rating systems that could test LEED’s dominance.
| Jan 4, 2011
LEED 2012: 10 changes you should know about
The USGBC is beginning its review and planning for the next version of LEED—LEED 2012. The draft version of LEED 2012 is currently in the first of at least two public comment periods, and it’s important to take a look at proposed changes to see the direction USGBC is taking, the plans they have for LEED, and—most importantly—how they affect you.
| Jan 4, 2011
California buildings: now even more efficient
New buildings in California must now be more sustainable under the state’s Green Building Standards Code, which took effect with the new year. CALGreen, the first statewide green building code in the country, requires new buildings to be more energy efficient, use less water, and emit fewer pollutants, among many other requirements. And they have the potential to affect LEED ratings.
| Jan 4, 2011
New Years resolutions for architects, urban planners, and real estate developers
Roger K. Lewis, an architect and a professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Maryland, writes in the Washington Post about New Years resolutions he proposes for anyone involved in influencing buildings and cities. Among his proposals: recycle and reuse aging or obsolete buildings instead of demolishing them; amend or eliminate out-of-date, obstructive, and overly complex zoning ordinances; and make all city and suburban streets safe for cyclists and pedestrians.
| Jan 4, 2011
An official bargain, White House loses $79 million in property value
One of the most famous office buildings in the world—and the official the residence of the President of the United States—is now worth only $251.6 million. At the top of the housing boom, the 132-room complex was valued at $331.5 million (still sounds like a bargain), according to Zillow, the online real estate marketplace. That reflects a decline in property value of about 24%.
| Jan 4, 2011
Luxury hotel planned for Palace of Versailles
Want to spend the night at the Palace of Versailles? The Hotel du Grand Controle, a 1680s mansion built on palace grounds for the king's treasurer and vacant since the French Revolution, will soon be turned into a luxury hotel. Versailles is partnering with Belgian hotel company Ivy International to restore the dilapidated estate into a 23-room luxury hotel. Guests can live like a king or queen for a while—and keep their heads.
| Jan 4, 2011
Grubb & Ellis predicts commercial real estate recovery
Grubb & Ellis Company, a leading real estate services and investment firm, released its 2011 Real Estate Forecast, which foresees the start of a slow recovery in the leasing market for all property types in the coming year.
