Energy, water and natural resources are tangible, necessary assets that the Lehigh community relies on every day to execute its mission.
The Energy Conservation Engineer works continuously with the entire operations team to research and implement supply-side and demand-side energy, water, and operational efficiency improvements, resource cost management strategies, and data management and analysis methods. These individual steps, executed with a common purpose, are how climate change mitigation goes from a goal to a reality.
Whether implementing utility-scale energy management projects, pursuing green building initiatives, or finding ways to reduce landfill waste, Facilities Operations has pledged to help significantly reduce or offset all campus greenhouse gas emissions over time.
ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Energy, Water and Natural Resources are tangible, necessary assets that the Lehigh community relies on every day to execute its mission. The Energy Conservation engineer works with the entire operations team continuously to research and implement supply- and demand-side energy, water, and operational efficiency improvements, resource cost management strategies, and data management and analysis methods. These individual steps, executed with a common purpose, are how climate change mitigation goes from a goal to a reality. Whether implementing utility-scale endergy management projects, pursuing green building initiatives, or finding ways to reduce landfill wates, Facilities Management has pledged to help significantly reduce or offset all campus greenhouse gas emissions over time. For more information on ways to reach these goals, please visit the SUSTAINABILITY home site.
2018 HVAC SYSTEM RETROFIT
Lehigh's Facilities Services team has recently reduced energy usage (and greenhouse gas emissions) with several different types of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) projects. Older chillers were replaced with more energy-efficient models at Zoellner Arts Center and Alumni Memorial Building on the Asa Packer Campus. Older fixed-speed air-handling fan motors were replaced with new variable-speed models. This is often done in conjunction with replacing pneumatically-controlled HVAC control systems with direct-digital-control (DDC) systems. During 2018 these types of projects occurred at Maginnes Hall and Zoellner Arts Center on the Asa Packer Campus and several buildings on the Mountaintop Campus: Iacocca (A), Jordan (F), Imbt/H, and J.
During 2018 Lehigh's Facilities Services team also worked with Siemens to reprogram some HVAC control strategies used in laboratories at the STEPS building. These changes were aimed at reducing energy while improving occupant comfort and maintaining consistent indoor air quality. The strategies included reducing the number of air changes per hour and fume hood face velocities, and setting-back space temperatures when rooms are unoccupied.
2018 LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE (LED) INSTALLATIONS AND LIGHTING CONTROLS
Lehigh, like many other instituations, has been reducing energy usage (and greenhouse gas emissions) by replacing fluorescent light fixtures, bulbs, and ballasts with light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures, bulbs, and drivers. This has been occurring for several years and it will continue for several more years. During calendar year 2018, the following buildings were partially or completely retrofitted with LEDs:
- Mudd Building
- Neville Hall
- Whitaker Laboratory
- Central Heating and Cooling Plant for Asa Packer Campus
- Central Heating and Cooling Plant for Mountaintop Campus
- Alumni Parking Garage
- Cundey Varsity House
For some projects, lighting controls are also installed, such as occupancy sensors, vacancy sensors, or photoelectric (daylight) sensors.
Pictured above: Light Emitting Diode/LED (left) vs. fluorescent tubes (right)
For more information about Lehigh's conservation efforts, please go to SUSTAINABILITY.