Yesterday, Siemens announced that he University of Louisville (U of L) is making a giant leap towards going green on its Belknap Campus with the help of a comprehensive, $21.7 million energy and resource efficiency improvement project delivered by the Building Technologies Division of Siemens Industry, Inc. The campus-wide effort should, when finished, significantly lower its overall carbon footprint and realize enough energy savings to reduce equivalent energy costs by more than $2.3 million annually.
Following an intensive and interactive process, Siemens specified a fully-realized package of facility improvements encompassing a broad variety of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system upgrades, building automation and lighting control retrofits, as well as water conservation strategies. Beginning July 2008, Siemens’ team worked alongside the U of L Physical Plant staff to conduct the extensive facility and building system auditing regimen necessary to evaluate energy and resource consumption, define recommended improvements, and then calculate potential energy savings. Implementation of the campus-wide project has commenced and is scheduled for completion December 2010.
At the heart of the project is Siemens’ performance contract, which guarantees the amount of energy that will be saved. Financing is predicated on this guarantee — Siemens will make up the difference if the energy savings goal is not met.
“The project is good news on two fronts, ” said U of L president James Ramsey, “It will allow the university to continue its commitment to the environment and sustainability, while allowing U of L to upgrade its facilities during a tough financial period. We’ll be making the campus greener and saving money as we go.”
