9/22/2014 - Jackson, Miss.
Mississippi Public Universities have saved $70 million over the past eight years through efforts to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency, a report made recently to the Board of Trustees revealed. This is the result of a system-wide effort to improve facilities and equipment, track usage and performance, and leverage in-house expertise and partnerships to share best practices.
“Many hands were involved in creating these cost savings and they are to be commended for their hard work,” said Trustee Ed Blakeslee, a member of the system-wide Energy Council. “This demonstrates that our universities are focused on saving money whenever and wherever possible. Keeping operational costs down directs more resources to teaching and learning and student support.”
The Energy Council meets quarterly and is comprised of university representatives, system-office personnel and a representative from the Board of Trustees.
In addition to campus initiatives, which included upgrades to equipment and lighting as well as outreach efforts to educate students and faculty on how they can assist in energy efficiency efforts, staff members from each campus track and report usage. Information on gas and electric usage and cost is tracked monthly, along with information on square footage. This data is updated quarterly and becomes part of a database that can be used to compare usage over time. Each year, the Energy Council reports the progress made to the Board of Trustees.
“The take-away from this report is that energy efficiency efforts pay for themselves,” said J.D. Hardy, J.D. Hardy, Associate Director, Engineering Services, Mississippi State University and Chair of the Energy Council. “It requires a focused effort and commitment from the universities, system and campus leadership and the Board of Trustees, but the end result makes these efforts worthwhile. These changes create campuses that are safer, more comfortable and less expensive to operate.”
The reports are available online at www.mississippi.edu/facilities/ and are presented in a user-friendly dashboard format.
In 2010, the Task Force set a goal of reducing energy consumption by 30 percent by 2020. In fiscal year 2014, despite a 20 percent increase in square footage and an exceptionally cold winter, the system registered a 21 percent reduction in energy consumption.
“Our energy efficiency efforts allow us to weather spikes in usage, such as during a harsh winter or brutal summer,” said Hardy. “We must continue investing in efficiency efforts to realize sustained savings.”
On the campus level, efforts include changes that may be barely noticeable to those on campus, but can make a tremendous difference in the amount of energy consumed. These changes include:
The universities have also reached out to the campus community to educate students and staff members about going green. Some of these efforts include:
System-wide, the IHL Energy Council helps evaluate energy consumption and compare energy costs versus energy consumption. The Board of Trustees passed a Sustainability Policy that requires no less than 25 percent of the expected annual recurring savings from completed energy efficiency projects to be set aside to finance future energy efficiency efforts, thus ensuring that the necessary investment in continued improvement is made.
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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.
John Sewell
Director of Communications
Telephone: 601.432.6333
