Johnson control project brings sustainability to UMass buildings

When students, faculty or staff walk into bathrooms on campus, they will notice the running water from both the toilets and sinks. However, what may not be apparent is how fast that water is flowing. Thanks to Johnson Controls, and the low flow toilets and faucets they installed in 2004, bathroom facilities at UMass became more energy efficient. And that's only one of the changes the project brought to campus.

In a ten-year energy performance contract with Johnson Controls, the university invested $43 million in an effort to make buildings around campus more sustainable. In the contract Johnson Controls guaranteed UMass annual savings of about $5 to $7 million dollars in areas such as water, electric, and steam. UMass is in the sixth year of its agreement, conserving both energy and money.

One of the greatest changes the contract allowed UMass officials to make was the renovation of the power plant. The new power plant, located behind the Mullins Center, was designed to reduce the amount of carbon UMass emits. UMass sustainability coordinator Josh Stoffel said that the adjustments from Johnson Controls and the new power plant have reduced the university’s overall emissions by 30 percent.

“Johnson Controls dropped our emissions by 24 percent, and the power plant itself dropped us by six percent,” he said.

Campus energy engineer at the physical plant utilities section Jason Burbank, who was involved in the initial stages of the Johnson Controls Project, said that unlike commercial generators, the new power plant operates as a “co-generation,” creating both heat and electricity. Heat is created through steam turbines, which generate steam at a high pressure and is then delivered throughout campus as low pressure steam. The turbines produce so much energy that not all is needed to create heat, allowing for some of it to be used for electricity.

One year ago, only 10 percent of the electricity used by the university was supplied by the power plant. Today the new plant provides 70 percent to the campus. It also uses 90 percent natural gas to create fuel compared to the old plant which burned 50 percent coal. Natural gas releases half the amount of carbon as coal.

“It's [new power plant] amazing,” Burbank said. “It costs no more than the old plant and is much better for the environment.”

Johnson Controls also replaced aging heating and cooling equipment. More efficient cooling towers and chillers, designed to cool water for air conditioning systems, were placed in buildings like the library to conserve energy.

Every building was given state-of-the-art flourescent lighting, and those that did not currently use it had it installed. In the past each tube of lighting used 40 to 45 watt bulbs, but today they are stocked with 32 watt ones.

Insulation, which slows down the loss of heat, was added to dorm attics, reducing the rate at which it is needed to be pumped into buildings. Electric monitors and computer controls that regulate temperature and ventilation, were also made more efficient.

Burbank said he believes Johnson Controls gave UMass a lot of important tools to help manage our energy, but there is always more we can do.

"We could certainly do a better job if we could put a little more time into it [energy conservation], but we have definitely reduced our energy consumption, and that must make us greener," he said.