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From: Hoffman York Contact: Mark Treichel | mtreichel@hyc.com | (414) 225-9554 Released: October 29, 2009
Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's statewide resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy, awarded $45,900 to St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. after it completed several green building initiatives at its new 80,000 square-foot library. The Miriam B. and James J. Mulva Library serves as the centerpiece and a primary entry point for the St. Norbert College campus. The new library features a variety of gathering places for students and 50 percent more materials storage--creating a modern sanctuary for knowledge. Most importantly, it offers a full range of technological capabilities needed by students in the 21st century, from wireless internet access for laptop users to multimedia-equipped meeting rooms. Together the energy-saving projects will save more than 332,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 16,000 therms of natural gas annually compared to a conventional building of its size -- saving enough energy to power 50 Wisconsin homes for a year. St. Norbert College will also benefit from saving approximately $44,000 on its energy bills at the new library each year. The cash incentives from Focus, in partnership with St. Norbert College's utility Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, were used to install major energy savers including: • Energy recovery ventilators, which use exhaust air from the building to pre-heat or pre-cool the incoming outside air that is used for ventilation. • NEMA Premium® motors, which reduce electrical demand by up to 18 percent compared to standard motors and generate less heat. • Variable-frequency drives installed on equipment to further reduce operating costs by providing greater control over the motors. • A high-efficiency air cooled chiller, which provides chilled water for air-conditioning systems more efficiently than a standard chiller. "Whenever there is a sustainable or energy efficient option we always try to make that happen," said Lew Pullen, manager of mechanical systems in the department of facilities at St. Norbert College. "It's the right thing to do and Focus has been a true partner in helping us make these projects happen." The Mulva Library project isn't the first time St. Norbert College worked with Focus on Energy. From upgrading to high-performance windows, boilers and chillers to purchasing ENERGY STAR® food service equipment and compact fluorescent lights, the campus has saved a total of 800,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 99,000 therms of natural gas annually since 2008--saving the college approximately $170,000 on its energy bills each year. Not only do these measures save the university money, but they are also environmentally friendly. The annual environmental benefits are equivalent to offsetting more than 3,300 barrels of oil from being burned -- eliminating 2.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the atmosphere. "St. Norbert College is a great example of an organization that is going above and beyond to save energy with high-performance, energy-efficient equipment," said Ken Williams, Focus on Energy's business programs director. "The college will be able to see the savings on its energy bills for years to come." Focus on Energy can help businesses and residents across the state identify and evaluate energy saving opportunities, earn financial incentives, provide recommendations, develop energy management plans and arrange technical training opportunities about energy conservation. For more information, call (800) 762-7077 or visit focusonenergy.com. |
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