Midwestern State University

PROGRESS REPORT

Midwestern State University (MSU) provided an energy management master plan to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) in November 2012 in compliance with Executive Order RP 49 and updated the plan in a submission to the LBB in October 2017. An update on recommendations from the 2017 report are as follows:

1. Renovation of the Daniel Building (now referred to as the Bridwell Activities Center) was completed in August 2022 and incorporated modern energy code standards.
2. Continuing efforts to replace compact fluorescent bulbs with LEDs when they burn out:
   1. Clark Student Center: Replaced 78 – 2x4 LED fixtures and one 2x2 LED fixture.
   2. Fain Fine Arts, Room C115: Replaced 20 – 2x4 LED fixtures.
   3. West Campus Annex football administration office area with cubicles: Replaced 56 – 4 lamp 2x4 fluorescent fixtures to LED 4’ lamps.
   4. Daniel/Bridwell Activities Center, second floor: Approx. 90 percent fluorescent bulbs changed to LED.
3. A significant effort to begin replacing fluorescent bulbs in campus buildings was initiated in fiscal 2021 and has continued at a slightly slower pace through fiscal 2022. Approximately 40 percent of the light fixtures (392) in Prothro-Yeager-Beawood-O’Donohoe were replaced with LED light fixtures to complete the LED upgrades for this entire building ($42,000). Another 383 fixtures were replaced on the first and second floors of Moffett Library ($82,000). MSU is planning to replace most of the remaining fixtures on the third floor in fiscal 2023.
4. Repairs to the concrete deck on two older cooling towers were completed to increase their life for another 10-plus years. Spalling off concrete from the fan’s perimeter structure was repaired, in addition to replacement of the fan shrouds, blades, drive shaft and filter media to improve its overall efficiency.
5. Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU: MEP firm designed HVAC upgrades to improve air quality, add HVAC controls to four galleries and reduce noise and energy use for these systems. Unfortunately, funds to complete the upgrades were not available when construction was to begin so these plans are currently on hold.
6. MSU’s chill water system is sized to allow for campus expansion; however, the steam system is considered undersized such that additional buildings cannot be added to its loop. The last two campus buildings MSU constructed, Legacy and Centennial, have dedicated boilers instead of using steam from Central Plant. In 2020, the Legislature provided funds to evaluate the campus steam load requirements and add energy efficient boilers in Central Plant so new buildings can be heated with the existing tunnel loop instead of installing individual boilers in new structures. The funds became available in August 2022 to proceed with the design effort. A contract has been initiated with a MEP firm to move forward with this project.

Energy savings results are as follows: For fiscal 2022 compared with fiscal 2021, MSU observed an 8.8 percent increase in electricity usage, a 9.3 percent increase in gas usage and a 2.9 percent decrease in water usage. The electricity and gas increases are attributed to more students, faculty and staff back on campus after pandemic concerns eased. A failed city water meter resulted in two months of zero use, so the water decrease is not likely to be realized in fiscal 2023 when it is replaced. In fiscal 2022 compared with fiscal 2017, MSU observed a 6.3 percent increase in electricity usage, a 6.2 percent increase in gas usage and a 14.6 percent decrease in water usage. MSU had an increase of 8 percent in square footage between fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2022.

GOALS

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STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS

MSU has been active in pursuing energy reduction technologies and procedures for about 15 years, including a State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) loan in 2011 to save gas and electrical energy, and replacement of natural grass athletic fields with artificial turf in 2015 to reduce water consumption. In the fall of 2019 and in response to Health and Safety Code Section 388.005C passed by the 86th Legislature, MSU updated the energy master plan which was included in the fiscal 2020 submission. The consulting firm that developed the 2019 energy master plan determined the only financially feasible option for saving energy was to pursue LED light retrofitting (reference pages 4 and 5 of the master plan) at a cost of $4.1 million. By retrofitting all campus lighting with LEDs, it is anticipated energy savings of 5.1 percent could be achieved. However, funding limitations restrict MSU’s ability to invest $590,000 per year necessary to realize the 5.1 percent savings at the end of seven years. Instead, MSU plans to invest about $100,000 per year for the foreseeable future to retrofit lighting.

With the continued pursuit of energy reduction in mind, MSU requested an energy usage report from Ameresco which was delivered in December 2020. Ameresco suggested LED lighting retrofits, upgrades to plumbing fixtures to low-flow technology, additional insulation for steam pipes, variable speed pumping for heating water hot water pumps, upgrades to fume hoods/fans for energy conservation, rehabilitation of cooling towers, replacement of an older boiler and replacement of air handlers in two buildings (Hardin, Bolin) at a total of almost $9 million with a 20-year payback. The payback is too long, so MSU continues to pursue LED retrofits at a price we can afford of about $100,000 per year and we fixed the aging concrete cooling tower in fiscal 2022.

The Legislature is providing funding for MSU to upgrade many of the utility systems in Bolin Hall as part of a nearly $38 million renovation project starting in December 2022 through the summer of 2025. A significant part of the project's scope is to upgrade, replace, and retro-commission the existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing building systems to gain energy efficiencies as well as comply with the current building codes. This will include replacement of the pneumatic control system with Andover digital controls, replacement/retrofit of air handling equipment, replacement of exhaust fans, upgrade of electrical switch gear and transformers and a new temperature control system for the greenhouse.

While it is our goal and intent to reduce utility costs by 1 percent per year, the economically feasible opportunities to achieve this goal is extremely limited due to years of continued efforts to reduce costs and install more energy efficient systems.

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

MSU will continue efforts of retrofitting LED fixtures in fiscal 2023 with retrofits on the third floor of Moffett Library. Portions of buildings will have their lighting converted to LEDs each year for the foreseeable future. Renovation work in Bolin Hall will conclude in 2025. Minimal upgrades will occur in fiscal 2023 since the design process would have just been initiated.

AGENCY FINANCE STRATEGY

The cost of the lighting retrofit project for FY23 is $84,000 and is being funded with Higher Education Assistance Funds (HEAF). Future years will continue to use about $100k per year of HEAF to fund additional lighting retrofit efforts.

EMPLOYEE AWARENESS PLAN

Renovation of the Bridwell Activities Center included lighting control systems and motion sensors to reduce the use of electricity in this building. Similar upgrades will be installed as part of the Bolin Renovation, including an updated HVAC control system which should increase the efficiency of this equipment.