Texas A&M University

PROGRESS REPORT

Texas A&M University monitors energy consumption on a routine basis and uses the Source Energy Use Index (EUI) (Total Energy Use/Total Gross Square Feet (GSF)) as an indicator of performance along with total energy consumption. The fiscal 2002 source EUI for the campus was 364 and for fiscal 2022 was 203, a reduction of 44 percent. Similar success can be seen in the overall energy consumption as compared to campus size. The total energy consumption in fiscal 2002 was 6.74 million mmBtu (One Million British Thermal Units) to serve 18.5 million GSF, and for fiscal 2022, the total energy consumption was 6.28 million British Thermal Units (BTUs) to serve a campus that is 31.0 million GSF in size. Even though the campus grew by 67 percent, the overall energy consumption was reduced by 7 percent. It is estimated that the avoided cost over this period is more than $320 million.

Texas A&M has seen equally impressive results for water conservation and water use reduction efforts. In fiscal 1991, the campus used 3,462 million gallons of water with a campus size estimated to be 12.5 million GSF. In fiscal 2022, the campus used 1,919 million gallons of water for a campus size of 31 million GSF, a volume reduction of more than 45 percent while the campus grew by 148 percent. Using the more recent fiscal 2002 baseline of 18.5 million GSF, the campus used 1,787 million gallons. In fiscal 2022, the campus size grew to 31.0 million GSF and consumed 1,919 million gallons of water for a relatively flat consumption profile while the campus grew by 67%.

GOALS

The 2018 Texas A&M University Sustainability Master plan calls for an EUI reduction of 192 in fiscal 2017 to 174 in fiscal 2028. The EUI reduction includes both natural gas and electricity so the target year, benchmark year and percentage goal of 9 percent is the same for both. It is important to point out that when compared with the original baseline of fiscal 2002, the reduction percentage goal is an outstanding 50 percent for the 25-year performance period.

Water consumption has been dramatically reduced by 45 percent since fiscal 1991 while the campus grew by 148 percent. Additional water reduction is not likely with the continued campus growth.

Fleet fuel consumption has increased compared with fiscal 2021. This increase is due to the campus returning to normal after COVID restrictions in fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021. Transit service levels returned to what they were prior to COVID, and out-of-town travel returned as well.

STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS

The most recent Utilities & Energy Services Master Plan was completed in 2017, which documented and justified $47 million in production and major infrastructure capital improvements and replacements. The plan also focused on ensuring that the Building Automation Systems (BAS) in the campus buildings are up to date. There are some buildings on campus in which the BAS panels are older and no longer available which can lead to reliability issues. This project was completed in fiscal 2022. The BAS are crucial in maintaining building environmental conditions and energy conservation.

In fiscal 2016, the University launched a chilled water optimization program that optimizes chiller performance and greatly reduces the pumping energy required by the campus by carefully monitoring the building loads and only moving the water required to meet load. With two campus-chilled water loops that both exceed 1 million gallons, this has led to significant energy savings.

In addition to identifying opportunities to improve operating efficiency of building HVAC, BAS and lighting systems, Utilities & Energy Services (UES) is evaluating opportunities to more precisely regulate the face velocity associated with more than 1,000 fume hoods on the Texas A&M University campus to ensure safe operation with improved energy efficiency.

The University uses the EnergyCAP program to track all utility costs by building, utility and customer across the College Station campus. In addition, the campus uses the Schneider Power Monitoring Expert (PME) system to make data from all meters across the campus available in real-time to provide feedback to technicians when making efficiency improvements.

The Energy Stewardship Program (ESP) continues to focus its Energy Stewardship team and other resources on Top 50 campus buildings, which consume 50 percent of the campus energy. This strategy allows a more detailed focus on identifying and correcting the issues to reduce overall energy consumption. While the other buildings will still be carefully managed, this more focused approach will lead to improved performance on a campus that exceeds 30 million GSF.

The Energy Performance Improvement (EPI) program operates in close coordination with departments from select buildings. It was designed to reduce energy consumption and avoid costs. In total, the four buildings in the pilot program combined to reduce utility costs by $500,000 during the one-year program. Based on the success of the pilot program, an expanded EPI program was implemented in fiscal 2019. The EPI program has two primary objectives:

• Raise awareness and identify opportunities for improved efficiency and sustainability through engagement with facility occupants and stakeholders.
• Implement energy system technical solutions with occupant engagement and participation to improve facility operating efficiency and reduce energy consumption and cost.

EPI begins with getting ‘buy-in’ from department leadership for any modifications proposed in the facility, with participating departments incentivized by sharing in the cost avoidance achieved through energy consumption reduction. The next step is a meeting with occupants about the building’s energy consumption to brainstorm and identify solutions for reducing unnecessary building consumption and costs. An essential aspect of the EPI program is that initiatives are discussed and agreed upon up front, with any changes to building operation monitored closely to achieve positive results. As of Aug. 31, 2022, the program included 12 buildings that have avoided over $6.66 million in costs, or a total of $4.12 million when program operating cost is deducted.

For fuel consumption reduction, the campus continues to work on “right-sizing” the fleet by working with departments to replace older vehicles and assist departments in finding replacement vehicles that not only fit the department’s needs but also have better fuel economy. Fleet staff continue to recommend replacing vehicles with electric and hybrid vehicles when applicable. At the end of fiscal 2021, three all electric buses were put into operation and nine new 2021 model diesel buses arrived and were put into operation at the beginning of fiscal 2022. With a total of 44 new buses and three new electric buses, we should continue to see a reduction in consumption compared with the years prior to COVID.

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

All five Energy Services Company (ESCO) projects implemented at the university have performed as expected. Texas A&M University has installed meters on all buildings more than 5,000 GSF to monitor and record the energy and water consumed therein. Every month, this consumption is compared with modeled consumption to find any deviations from the baseline. Furthermore, all campus consumption is billed to the Education & General (E&G), auxiliary or agency function housed in the space to ensure not only proper cost recovery but also to raise awareness of the cost to operate the facility and allow for needed tuning and adjustment.

Fleet replacement continues, and more electric vehicle options are becoming more available.

AGENCY FINANCE STRATEGY

Texas A&M has leveraged the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) loan program to implement many of the energy efficiency results in the buildings. To date, the University has leveraged five loans that total over $29 million since January 2012. In addition, the University invests in production and distribution upgrades that are capitalized and recovered through utility rates that are charged to all campus agencies, auxiliaries and E&G functions.

EMPLOYEE AWARENESS PLAN

Texas A&M University has two programs that focus on Employee Awareness and Engagement. The first is the Energy Stewardship Program, which continues to focus its Energy Stewardship team and other resources on Top 50 campus buildings, which consume 50 percent of the campus energy. This strategy allows a more detailed focus on identifying and correcting the issues to reduce overall energy consumption. While the other buildings will still be carefully managed, this more focused approach will lead to improved performance on a campus that exceeds 30 million GSF.

The other program is the EPI program, which operates in close coordination with departments from select buildings. It was designed to reduce energy consumption and avoid costs. In total, the four buildings in the pilot program combined to reduce utility costs by $500,000 during the one-year program. Based on the success of the pilot program, an expanded EPI program was implemented in fiscal 2019. The EPI program has two primary objectives:

• Raise awareness and identify opportunities for improved efficiency and sustainability through engagement with facility occupants and stakeholders.
• Implement energy system technical solutions with occupant engagement and participation to improve facility operating efficiency and reduce energy consumption and cost.

EPI begins with getting ‘buy-in’ from department leadership for any modifications proposed in the facility, with participating departments incentivized by sharing in the cost avoidance achieved through energy consumption reduction. The next step is a meeting with occupants about the building’s energy consumption to brainstorm and identify solutions for reducing unnecessary building consumption and costs. An essential aspect of the EPI program is that initiatives are discussed and agreed upon up front, with any changes to building operation monitored closely to achieve positive results. As of Aug. 31, 2022, the program included 12 buildings that have avoided over $6.66 million in costs, or a total of $4.12 million when program operating cost is deducted.