PROGRESS REPORT
The progress report section outlines the progress of activities related to the implementation of projects from the previous Energy and Water Management Plan, including continuation of energy audits; execution of capital projects for building and utilities infrastructure renovations and upgrades; replacement of underground thermal (steam and chilled water) piping; and operational initiatives to optimize energy usage at thermal plants and by HVAC equipment.
Additional energy reduction efforts included: optimization of thermal plants; monitoring temperature settings and programming setback temperatures during low occupancy periods; building reheat valve adjustments; replacing energy intensive HVAC components; replacement of air handlers; upgrade of air handlers to fan array system with variable frequency drives (VFDs); and multiple lighting retrofits. Water reduction efforts included continued installation of low-flow water fixtures and the installation of water filling stations for reusable water containers.
Measurement and Benchmarking
Measurement, verification and benchmarking indicates project effectiveness and progress toward the energy and water management goals.
- Continued to conduct Thermal Hydronic Systems Modeling of Campus Thermal cooling and heating loops to identify, among other conditions, potential for corrections and improvements.
- Continued electronic energy and water invoice auditing and trending with EnergyCAP software.
- Continued to participate in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Demand Response program with as much as 18MW load.
- Continued actions to reduce Four Coincident Peak (4CP) demand.
- Continued quarterly reviews of kW/ton, gas usage, steam production, water makeup and other efficiency related metrics.
Chilled Water Systems
- Continued to address supply-side and demand-side energy management and water uses.
- Continued design and replacement of direct buried chilled water piping as part of a phased, multiyear replacement project with new preinsulated direct buried piping throughout South Campus.
- Completed BioCenter at Southwestern Medical District (EB) chiller 1 replacement.
- Replaced chillers 1 and 2 in Outpatient Building (WA) building.
- Replaced inefficient scamp coolers on South Thermal Energy Plant (STEP) peak generators.
- Replaced fills with higher efficiency fills in North Thermal Energy Plant (NTEP) cooling towers 5 and 6.
Steam Systems
- Continued annual ongoing boiler operations and control improvements throughout the campus.
- Continued ongoing replacement/repair of insulation on building steam and chilled water piping.
- Continued site survey, design and replacement of direct buried steam and condensate return piping as part of a phased replacement project with new direct buried piping throughout South Campus.
- Continued annual repair or replacement of steam traps.
Building and Thermal Plant Controls
- Building Automation System (BAS) update with Siemen's Desigo near completion.
- Upgraded Instrument Air Compressor system at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital (CUH).
- Continued annual optimization of chilled water systems at Clements University Hospital Thermal Energy Plant (UWTEP) and STEP with Demand Flow Plant Optimization.
- Continued ongoing efforts to improve use of BAS to monitor and optimize system operations and reduce energy consumption.
- Continued multiyear project to systematically upgrade from pneumatic controls to direct digital controls to allow for night and weekend setbacks.
Water Optimization
- Added softener systems for cooling tower makeup at NTEP and Clements Thermal Energy Plant (CTEP) to reduce chemical and water usage.
- Added water meters to WA chilled water, hot water and steam blow down and makeup.
- Added domestic water compression tanks at CUH to provide buffer during extreme usage.
- Continued to optimize chemical treatment to minimize blowdown as a recurring annual effort.
- Continued ongoing plumbing retrofits to low-flow fixtures.
- Installed and brought online water softener to NTEP for higher cycles to reduce water and chemical usage for cooling towers.
- Continued annual replacement of irrigation system controllers to improve water utilization through improved leak detection and improved control measures.
Lighting Initiative Projects
- Continued to evaluate 2x4 and 2x2 LED lighting fixtures for standard installation and renovation. All new installations are specified as LED.
- Started converting mechanical and electrical room and garage lighting to LED.
- Continued lighting replacement on South Campus.
- Phase 1 of T5 lighting replacement with LED at CUH started.
Building Commissioning and Building Design Review Process
- Continued on an ongoing basis cross-functional teaming and communications to improve new and renovated building operations.
- Continuing on an ongoing basis to track building energy and water usage in EnergyCAP.
Building Renovations
- Continued on an ongoing basis to perform infrared scans to detect building envelope leaks, coupled with window sealing and waterproofing repairs, which significantly reduced rainwater intrusions and air infiltration.
- Replaced roof at Gooch Auditorium, resulting in an increased R-value for improved building insulation.
- Replaced Simmons Biomedical Research Building (NB) building roof.
- Completed resiliency study with actionable plan of campus building infrastructure.
GOALS
The University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center's conservation goal is to reduce energy consumption per square foot (EUI/sq. ft.) by 5 percent (stretch goal 10 percent) by fiscal 2031 from the fiscal 2021 baseline.
Utility | Target Year | Benchmark Year | Percentage Goal |
---|---|---|---|
Water | 2031 | 2021 | 5 |
Electricity | 2031 | 2020 | 5 |
Transportation Fuels | 2025 | 2023 | 1 |
Natural Gas | 2031 | 2021 | 5 |
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
Measurement, verification and benchmarking indicates project effectiveness and progress toward the energy and water management goals.
- Identify potential Energy Conservation Measures, their relative costs and savings.
- Continue on an ongoing basis electronic energy and water invoice auditing and trending with EnergyCAP software.
- Continue on an ongoing basis to participate in ERCOT's Demand Response program.
- Continue on an ongoing basis to reduce 4CP demand by load shading and running peak shaving generators from May through September of each year.
- Continue monitoring air emissions and develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Participate on an ongoing basis in American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) Energy to Care hospital energy use benchmarking.
- Conduct energy audits of building systems.
- Implement building systems overlay software at CUH for optimization.
Chilled Water Systems
- Continue on an ongoing basis to assess and optimize supply-side and demand-side management energy and water uses.
- Implement real time remote monitoring of York/Johnson Controls International (JCI) chillers at NTEP and Professional Office Building (POB) 1 to proactively identify and resolve issues that cause increased energy usage.
- Replace third chiller in WA.
- Replace POB 1 chiller 1.
- Replace chiller 6 in STEP.
- Replace STEP cooling tower 3 in 2026.
- Replace Aston Building (U), Sprague Building (CS) and STEP peak generators in phases starting 2025.
- Optimize chilled water system at CUH using Siemen's Desigo system.
- Replace 50-year-old buried pipe on South Campus K-loop as part of a multiyear, phased project.
- Evaluate thermal storage for chilled water system at all three plants.
- Evaluate heat pump chiller for CTEP.
- Replace various temperature sensors at Zale for better accuracy and optimization.
Steam Systems
- Evaluate boiler operations to maximize energy savings with new boilers installed at the STEP.
- Continue on an ongoing basis to install insulation jackets on multiple steam stations.
- Continue on an ongoing basis insulating systems to replace old or damaged insulation.
- Continue the direct buried chilled water, steam and condensate pipe replacement with new preinsulated direct buried pipe throughout South Campus K-loop as part of a multiyear, phased project.
- Upgrade boiler water treatment to real time measurement to control chemical injection and water blowdown. Previously, controllers were time-based control.
- Evaluate Material Management Building (MMB) steam boilers replacement with steam generators to reduce energy consumption.
- Replace condensate trap packages at Zale.
- Replace Deaerator (DA) tank at Zale.
Building and Thermal Energy Plant Controls
- Evaluate using AI with already implemented Demand Flow energy reduction program to further reduce energy consumption.
- Continue on an ongoing basis improving the use of BAS to monitor and optimize system operations and reduce energy consumption.
- Continue phased project to upgrade from pneumatic controls to direct digital controls to allow for night and weekend setbacks.
- Continue to add or replace the sub-metering in a phased approach.
- Continue on an ongoing basis Demand Flow plant optimization on STEP.
- Continue final phase to upgrade campus buildings including CUH building to Siemen's latest "Desigoâ€" automation system.
- Use "Zone Rx" and Fault Detection Device (FDD) tools with Siemens to proactively identify control issues on an ongoing basis.
- Expand the use of BAS unoccupied mode in non-patient areas at CUH on an ongoing basis.
Water Optimization
- Add softener system for cooling tower makeup at STEP to reduce water and chemical usage.
- Replace NB building's domestic hot water distribution system to mitigate water and heat losses.
- Continue phased project to replace large research autoclaves, washers and dryers in NB building.
- Evaluate the feasibility of using hands-free sink faucets.
- Redesign and replace Zale domestic water piping system.
- Add water softener to STEP and CTEP to reduce cooling tower makeup.
- Evaluate Air Handling Unit (AHU) condensate recovery for NTEP, STEP and CTEP to use in cooling tower makeup.
- Evaluate Cancer Care Outpatient Building (NM), Peter O'Donnell Jr. Biomedical Research Building (NS) and Wildenthal Research Building (NL) AHU condensate recovery to NTEP cooling tower makeup.
- Continue to add water meters to satellite building chilled water, hot water, and steam blow down and makeup.
- Replace cooling towers at Zale.
Lighting Initiative Projects
- Continuing phased project to retrofit NTEP and STEP lighting to LED.
- Continue phased project to evaluate retrofits of lighting to LED in two of the campus surface parking lots and parking structure garages with LED lighting.
- Continue phased project to replace T5 lighting with LED at CUH.
- Audit 10-year-old lighting and occupancy sensors.
- Upgrade from T8 to LED fixtures.
Building Commissioning and Building Design Review Process
- Begin a 10-year retro-commissioning project to optimize AHU programming at CUH.
- Continue on an ongoing basis cross-functional teaming and communications to improve new and renovated building operations.
- Continue on an ongoing basis to provide baseline building energy and water using EnergyCAP.
- On an ongoing basis, leverage University System best practices and innovative solutions to increase system efficiencies and reduce consumption.
- Budget for retro-commissioning of the CUH in fiscal 2025.
Building Renovations
- Complete final phase to replace HVAC equipment, various heat exchangers, lighting and valves in buildings on South Campus as part of Tuition Revenue Bond (TRB) infrastructure repair project.
- Replace electrical equipment, including motor control centers, VFDs and branch/distribution/feeder panels in six buildings.
- Continue ongoing upgrades to AHUs, motors, electrical and plumbing systems at Zale.
- Change out the lights to LED's in CUH towers 1 and 2 (50 percent in fiscal 2024 and 50 percent fiscal 2025).
- Complete infrastructure upgrades of Mechanical Electrical Plumbing (MEP) components at Aston.
- Replace WA AHU 2-1 air handler that serves second floor including operating rooms.
- Continue comprehensive roof replacement projects in POB 1, G and K.
- Modernize elevators across campus starting with Zale, Liphsy, H, B, CS, V and Garage 1.
Building Resiliency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management Plan
- Pursue funding to implement actions in the next seven years from the resiliency study to improve the resiliency of the buildings and infrastructure. Retro-commissioning of building mechanical and electrical systems, thermal storage for peak demand reduction, and district thermal utilities piping will have greatest potential for decarbonization and will be implemented first.
- Complete the greenhouse gas study and develop recommendations and an implementation strategy to reduce GHG emissions.
- Add continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) to seven peak generators to track emissions to be completed in 2025.
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
The proposed timeline to implement utility cost reduction measures in Section III is over multiple years. Facilities Management utilizes EnergyCap and Advantage Navigator software and databases to monitor energy savings.
AGENCY FINANCE STRATEGY
The Institution plans for annual facilities investments of $10 million to $15 million per fiscal year for projects that have a direct or indirect impact on utility costs depending on proposed projects and available funds. The funds used for projects are primarily unrestricted investment income, other utility project savings, and unrestricted hospital and medical group funds. The Energy Management Team will evaluate and prioritize energy and water management projects based on cost savings opportunities and system maintenance and dependability needs. All energy-specific projects will have a payback analysis and verification of savings where feasible.
- Continue to evaluate participation in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star program or the Department of Energy's (DOE) Save Energy Now program for upgrading and ensuring energy-efficient buildings and operations.
- Continue to evaluate participation in alternative financing initiatives for funding energy improvements, possibly through the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO, i.e., LoneSTAR) or the DOE.
EMPLOYEE AWARENESS PLAN
- Display Energy Use Index and Energy Cost Index per building on UTSW dashboard for campus population awareness.
- The Sustainability Committee monitors energy and water conservation goals and reviews progress on implementing this plan.
- Engage with UTSW Green Champion program, creating opportunities for sustainability awareness and engagement for employees across campus.