Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 45.37
Liaison Grace Afflerbach
Submission Date Oct. 31, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Purchase College - State University of New York
OP-5: Building Energy Consumption

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.78 / 6.00 Angie Kim
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1

This credit is based on energy inputs from offsite sources and electricity produced by onsite renewables. When the institution purchases one fuel and uses it to produce heat and/or power, you should enter only what is purchased. For example, if the institution purchases natural gas to fuel a CHP system and produce steam and electricity, only the purchased natural gas should be reported.

Figures needed to determine total building energy consumption:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Grid-purchased electricity 73,710.89 MMBtu 101,386.57 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site renewables 0 MMBtu 0 MMBtu
District steam/hot water (sourced from offsite) 0 MMBtu 0 MMBtu
Energy from all other sources (e.g., natural gas, fuel oil, propane/LPG, district chilled water, coal/coke, biomass) 161,526.46 MMBtu 156,415.23 MMBtu
Total 235,237.35 MMBtu 257,801.80 MMBtu

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018
Baseline Year July 1, 2010 June 30, 2011

A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
This baseline was adopted because it was the final year without a full-time Energy Manager on campus to implement energy efficient technologies and track the campus energy usage. An Energy Manager was hired in 2012. 2010 was also the year that EO88 became in effect, a state order which mandates a 20 percent improvement (over 2010 levels) in the energy performance of State government buildings by April 2020.

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area of building space 2,511,298 Gross square feet 2,437,818 Gross square feet

Source-site ratio for grid-purchased electricity:
3.14

Total building energy consumption per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Site energy 0.09 MMBtu per square foot 0.11 MMBtu per square foot
Source energy 0.16 MMBtu per square foot 0.19 MMBtu per square foot

Percentage reduction in total building energy consumption (source energy) per unit of floor area from baseline:
19.65

Part 2 

Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F / 18 °C):
Degree days (see help icon above)
Heating degree days 5,489 Degree-Days (°F)
Cooling degree days 855 Degree-Days (°F)

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 15,149 Square feet
Healthcare space 3,078 Square feet
Other energy intensive space

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
2,582,477 Gross square feet

Building energy consumption (site energy) per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
14.36 Btu / GSF / Degree-Day (°F)

Optional Fields 

Documentation (e.g. spreadsheet or utility records) to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency (e.g. outreach and education efforts):
The Sustainability Coordinator does regular outreach and education to the campus community with presentations on sustainable initiatives in progress, with a section dedicated to energy efficiency . A Green Living Certification is available for on-campus residents to receive after pledging sustainable actions, several of which focus on energy reduction.

A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution (e.g. building temperature standards, occupancy and vacancy sensors):
The college continues to add occupancy sensors to lighting fixtures focusing on academic areas such as faculty offices and hallways, as well as certain residential areas such as bathrooms and halls. Residences have limited temperature controls set and managed by Facilities and the Energy Manager. Academic buildings and office spaces do not control their own thermostats. Facilities continues to send messages to campus community regarding the limited personal controls and encourages the use of windows and warmer clothing to self-regulate.

A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
There have been several LED retrofits on campus including but not limited to roadways, library, and the athletic facilities.

A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
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A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution, e.g. combined heat and power (CHP):
The college is launching a combined heat and power project in the Physical Education building to heat 50% of the building, hot water and the pool by capturing excess heat waste from energy generation.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives (e.g. building re-commissioning or retrofit programs):
The college continues to retrofit and replace older appliances with energy efficient technologies. Recently the cooling towers underwent a major renovation as well as several HVAC units in aging buildings.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.