Western Washington University
OP-7: Building Energy Consumption

• 2° Turndown Facilities Management and the Office of Sustainability teamed up on a project to reduce utility costs by reducing building heating hours, setting thermostats to 68°, and providing tools for occupant comfort buildings. This project saved an estimated $68,000 in natural gas and electricity costs over winter 2012, despite a 40% drop in natural gas commodity prices. • Campus-Wide Energy and Water Conservation Retrofit Project In support of the Western Climate Action Plan, construction is nearly complete on a $3.2 million utility conservation project that spanned 28 campus buildings and is projected to drive down utility use by 4.5%. • Revolving Energy Fund In 2012, the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Management have proposed this strategy for funding critical campus conservation projects. Savings from qualifying projects are placed into this fund which is then used to pay for future conservation efforts. Western follows the University of Vermont, Oregon State University, and 39 other institutions nationally in the creation of such an account. National investment in such funds totals over $75 million, with a goal of $1 billion • AMSEC Solar Project In 2010, the AMSEC Solar Project Team was awarded a $970,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's SOLAR program to research improving the efficiency of luminescent solar concentrators. The research team includes five faculty and over a dozen student researchers to bring about advancements in solar technology.