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.
Facilities ongoing research and implementation of 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 energy management projects, pursuing green building initiatives, or finding ways to reduce landfill wastes; Facilities has pledged to help significantly reduce or offset all campus greenhouse gas emissions over time.
2018 HVAC System Retrofit
Facilities 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 Alumni Memorial Building and Zoellner Arts Center 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 Hall (A), Jordan Hall (F), Imbt Laboratories (H), and Building J.
During 2018, 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.
2019 Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Installations and Lighting Controls
Lehigh, like many other institutions, 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. Through November 2019, the following buildings were completely retrofitted with LEDs:
· Mudd Building
· Neville Hall
· Central Heating and Cooling Plant for Asa Packer Campus
· Central Heating and Cooling Plant for Mountaintop Campus
· Mountaintop Electrical Substation
· Alumni Parking Garage
· Zoellner Parking Garage
Buildings currently being upgraded include:
· Whitaker Laboratory
· Cundey Varsity House
· Sherman-Fairchild Center for Physical Sciences
· Sherman Fairchild Laboratory
· Stabler Arena
Buildings being investigated for upgrades in the coming year include:
· Linderman Library
· Taylor Gym
· Grace Hall
· Farrington Square Parking Garage
For some projects lighting controls are also installed, such as occupancy sensors, vacancy sensors, or photoelectric (daylight) sensors.
For additional information on ways to reach these goals, please visit the Sustainability website.