Energy and Water Conservation Programs
Lehigh is taking meaningful actions to mitigate global climate change while also preparing our campuses and the surrounding community to adapt and respond to its potential effects. The University continues to establish ambitious but achievable goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation and sourcing renewable energy. Lehigh is also making strides to reduce water usage via water conservation measures. See below for brief descriptions of the latest progress that LU Facilities has made toward these goals.
HVAC System Retrofits
Facilities has 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 Alumni Memorial Building, Rauch Business Center and Zoellner Arts Center on the Asa Packer Campus and Imbt Lab on the Mountaintop 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 Hall (Building A), Jordan Hall (Building F), Imbt Laboratories (Building H), and Building J.
During 2018, LU Facilities 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. Between 2021 and 2025, similar projects have been done at locations across campus including the Mudd Building, Neville Hall, Zoellner Arts Center, Linderman Library and the Wilbur Powerhouse.
The energy recovery systems in the STEPS Building were not working properly. In 2020 the former technology of heat wheels was replaced with a different technology known as heat pipes.
Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Installations and Lighting Controls
Lehigh, like many other institutions, has been reducing energy usage (and greenhouse gas emissions) by replacing incandescent, fluorescent, and HID 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. Since 2018, the following buildings were completely retrofitted with LEDs:
For some projects lighting controls are also installed such as wireless switches, occupancy and vacancy sensors, or photoelectric (daylight) sensors.
Asa Packer Campus | Asa Packer Campus (continued) | Goodman Campus |
| Alumni Memorial Building | Packard Memorial Church | Brightview Field Shop |
| Alumni Parking Garage | Philosophy | Rauch Field House |
| Central Heating and Cooling Plant for Asa Packer Campus | President's House | Stabler Arena |
| Coxe Hall | Rauch Business Center | Mountaintop Campus |
| Dialogue | Sayre Park Observatory | Building C |
| Drown Hall | Sayre Park Street Lights | Building J |
| EWFM Library and Computing Center | Sherman Fairchild Center for Physical Sciences | Central Heating and Cooling Plant for Mountaintop Campus |
| Farrington Square Parking Garage | Sherman Fairchild Laboratory | Iacocca Hall |
| Fritz Laboratory | Sinclair Laboratory | Imbt Laboratory |
| Grace Hall | STEPS Building | Jordan Hall |
| Johnson Hall | Taylor Gym | Mountaintop Electrical Substation |
| Lamberton Hall | Whitaker Laboratory | 1515 Mountain Drive |
| Linderman Library | Williams Hall | |
| Maginnes Hall | Zoellner Arts Center | |
| Mudd Building | Zoellner Parking Garage | |
| Neville Hall | ||
| Packard Laboratory |
Water Conservation
In summer 2021, LU Facilities replaced higher-flow water fixtures with lower-flow water fixtures in two residence halls (M&M and Dravo) and two academic buildings (Iacocca Hall and Imbt Laboratory). This included many faucets, toilets, urinals, and showerheads in each building. This was the first step of a multi-year effort aimed at reducing university-wide water usage by 10% by 2025 from a FY 2019 baseline. In summer 2022, the same type of work was completed in another residence hall (Taylor House) and four academic buildings (EWFM Library, Mudd Building, Packard Lab, and Whitaker Lab). In summer 2023, the same type of work was completed in four more residence halls (Centennial II, Farrington Square, Packer House and 230 W Packer Ave) and four academic buildings (Alumni Memorial Building, Neville Hall, Maginnes Hall and Rathbone Hall). In summer 2024 the same type of work was completed in two more residence halls (Drinker and Richards) and five more academic buildings (Rauch Business Center, Sinclair Lab, STEPS Building, Taylor Gym, and Goodman Stadium House). This effort proved to be worthwhile since the FY25 campus water usage was 18% less than the FY19 baseline.
For additional information on ways to reach these goals, please visit the Sustainability website.