PROGRESS REPORT
Sam Houston State University has made significant progress from the previous submitted plan. We finished the benchmark study on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) in which we performed a retro-commissioning study. After completing this study, we moved on to several buildings, applying what we learned to Old Main Market, General's Market and University Plaza. These buildings along with CHSS have provided the basis for further expansion of the project to the Chemistry and Forensic Science Building and Lowman Student Center. We found the original CHSS building had no provision for scheduling needed repairs to the fresh air supply and filtering. It also required incorporation of advanced strategies, temperature resets and duct pressure resets. We also found a lot of concurrent operation of cooling and heating and the unnecessary use of boilers for heating. We concentrated our work on the building HVAC system. Lighting was not the focus of the recommissioning as the university had a previous effort to upgrade to an LED system. Although we concentrated our effort on the HVAC, we have found several energy information system and metering deficits in our various management systems, which led to their replacements.
GOALS
Goals for utility conservation
- electricity - reduce waste energy by 50% over five years in our larger buildings, chilled water production and unaccounted for energy, equating to 40 million kWh's or $2 million. Our goal will be to eliminate all energy and water waste from Sam Houston State University over five years. We will recommission nine buildings per year to reach a total of 45 buildings and reduce energy use by 8 million kWh per year or $400,000 per year
- natural gas - reduce the operation of boilers during the nonessential seasons.
- water - monitor and reduce water leaks throughout the campus. This would include irrigation scheduling and building maintenance improvements with upgraded items.
| Utility | Target Year | Benchmark Year | Percentage Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 2025 | 2022 | 20 |
| Electricity | 2025 | 2020 | 10 |
| Transportation Fuels | 2025 | 2020 | 5 |
| Natural Gas | 2025 | 2022 | 10 |
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
We anticipate meeting our goals by conducting comprehensive energy audits on buildings with high Energy Use Intensity (EUI) numbers in order to identify the most cost‑effective utility efficiency measures. We then plan to prioritize projects based on cost, return on investment, potential savings, ease of implementation and alignment with conservation goals. High‑impact, low‑cost initiatives such as LED lighting upgrades, HVAC optimization and building scheduling will be investigated first, followed by larger capital projects with longer payback periods. Implementation should be phased to minimize disruption to campus operations, with clear timelines, stakeholder engagement and integration into existing maintenance schedules. Once measures are installed, the university should leverage its newly implemented energy management software, EnergyCAP, to establish baselines, track consumption and generate variance reports that verify savings. Regular monitoring, quarterly reviews and transparent reporting to leadership and the campus community will ensure accountability, highlight progress toward conservation goals and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
Developing and implementing a schedule for each utility commodity will require several months of planning. We have completed and implemented several new energy-saving projects on selected buildings. We would like to implement a rolling schedule of completing two to three buildings at a time during the course of three to six months, depending on budget availability and the extent of the audit findings. Now, efforts are mostly focused on the electricity commodity.
AGENCY FINANCE STRATEGY
We are planning to secure funding for recommended utility cost‑reduction measures through a combination of internal savings and external support. At this stage, the estimated cost of all projects at this time cannot be determined until full building audits are completed, which will provide detailed information on scope, scale and financial requirements. Once audit results are available, projects will be prioritized based on cost‑effectiveness, payback period and alignment with the university’s conservation goals. Several potential funding sources can include savings from energy projects by reinvesting verified savings from previously implemented efficiency measures to offset the cost of new projects, state funds which would involve applying and qualifying for state-level energy conservation grants or appropriations to reduce capital expenses and local funds involving local government programs, utility rebates, or community sustainability initiatives as supplemental funding streams.
EMPLOYEE AWARENESS PLAN
We are planning to use EnergyCAP to communicate both:
- Behavior-driven savings (direct awareness) - Will show clear, visual dashboards displaying energy use trends and savings by building or department. These can be shared with employees to highlight how their actions (turning off lights, reducing plug loads, adjusting thermostat use) contribute to measurable reductions.
- System-driven savings (indirect awareness) - Will show more technical measures (e.g., HVAC upgrades, LED retrofits). EnergyCAP will track and report energy usage savings. Sharing these results with employees builds awareness of institutional progress without requiring behavioral change. Highlighting savings achieved through infrastructure improvements rather than individual actions reinforces the university’s commitment to conservation and keeps employees aware of broader initiatives. This dual strategy ensures employees understand their role in conservation while also recognizing the institution’s investment in efficiency measures.
