PROGRESS REPORT
2022
LED Retrofits –UTSA Office of Facilities partially or fully upgraded these facilities: H-E-B Student Union, Multidisciplinary Studies, Arts Recital Hall, Chisholm Hall, Activities Center and Durango Building.
Main CampusDemandResponseProgram – Ongoing participation in CPS Energy Demand Response Program is producing an average load shed of 606 kilowatts (kWs) during summer response events. As a result, we anticipate to receive $42,386 in incentive payments. As part of the program, a variety of adjustments are performed where feasible, including adjustments to chiller supply temperature, cold deck set point, duct static pressure, fan speed and room temperature. In addition, Campus Housing uses thermostats controlled by CPS Energy to load shed during high electrical peak conditions.
Southwest Campus Transition – Transfer of 19 utility accounts at this new property required substantial coordination. UTSA will monitor performance this upcoming year to identify trends and establish a baseline going forward.
Student Assistance – Student interns assist with developing the annual utility report and compiling detailed trend data from the Building Automation System.
Irrigation Upgrades – Downtown Campus irrigation controls were upgraded. San Antonio Water System will work with UTSA to quantify savings and apply a conservation rebate.
North Thermal Energy Plant (NTEP) Chiller Upgrades – The Main Campus NTEP has improved chiller efficiency (kWs/ton) since the last fiscal year by 3 percent. Estimated annual savings are $79,500.
Monterey Building Envelope Improvements – Installed solar screens at the Monterey Building that will improve the building envelope and reduce solar heat gain.
Mesquite Living Lab Rain Water Capture – A rainwater collection system was installed at the Mesquite Living Lab. A green roof was also incorporated into this facility.
GOALS
Not reported.
| Utility | Target Year | Benchmark Year | Percentage Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 2031 | 2021 | 3% to 5% reduction of WUI (Water Utilization Index) |
| Electricity | 2031 | 2021 | 5% reduction in EUI (Energy Utilization Index) |
| Transportation Fuels | |||
| Natural Gas | 2031 | 2021 | 5% reduction in EUI |
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
Research facilities, because of their elevated energy intensity, will be a primary focus for proper operation. These facilities are candidates for efficiency upgrades.
- Energy Performance Contract proposal, which includes retro commissioning, will be considered.
Utility metering will baseline and monitor building operations and also be used to measure and verify implemented conservation measures.
- Southwest Campus and San Pedro One will be monitored and baselined. Utility accounts were verified to ensure appropriate rates structure. San Pedro One utility consumption will be reported monthly for five years per Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) V4 requirements. LEED certification level is pending. Office of Sustainability has initiated a project to perform long-term monitoring of San Pedro One to assess performance of this facility.
- Science & Engineering Building and Student Success Center were monitored monthly during their first year in service to baseline monthly utility use.
UTSA has adopted State Energy Conservation Office energy and water design standards in all new buildings to ensure efficient operations.
- Reviewed and ensured compliance at the Guadalupe Hall, Student Success Center, Roadrunner Athletics Center for Excellence and the School of Data Science.
- Mesquite Living Lab designed and equipped with rainwater harvesting and a green roof.
Water filling stations have been installed throughout campus to reduce bottled water use and reduce waste. UTSA installed nine stations in 2021.
Energy Performance Contract is under evaluation. Walkthroughs were conducted, and utility data were evaluated. Cost and environmental benefits are being considered. Retro-commissioning is being planned as part of this contract to ensure existing facilities are operating as efficiently as possible. Also, the Facilities office has hired an additional building controls technician with the intent of improving the efficiency of building systems as an initial step toward continuous commissioning. The Office of Sustainability may partner to work with building occupants to reduce energy use and improve comfort.
Boiler operations have been improved at the North Thermal Energy Plant through a central control system that will enhance boiler sequencing and improve efficiency. South Thermal Energy Plant boiler upgrade project will have a similar control system installed.
Non-Education and General (E&G) customers such as the Recreation/Wellness and Student Union are monitored closely, and consumption information is shared with building occupants and management. Facilities staff partner with building occupants to determine ways to lower costs yet maintain comfort levels for facility users.
Housing and Facilities staff meet periodically to identify ways to lower utility costs and recognize consumption patterns to identify outliers.
Optimized scheduling of building operations is conducted by identifying each building occupancy schedule and adjusting start and stop times accordingly.
UTSA installed a 58-kW solar array at the new San Pedro One building in Downtown San Antonio. Estimated savings is $7,300/yr. San Pedro One LEED certification level is pending.
Office of Sustainability is working on a Triple Net Zero Policy.
New 2,500-ton chiller replaced a 1978 vintage 3,000-ton R-22 chiller at the North Thermal Energy Plant. Construction is complete, and performance is being monitored. Plant cooling efficiency improved 3 percent this year compared with 2021 efficiency results.
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
AGENCY FINANCE STRATEGY
Utility savings and rebates have been and will continue to be used to fund conservation projects. The savings keep utility costs low and are used to fund future projects. Estimated awards include a $34,000 solar rebate for the San Pedro One photovoltaic array and a $42,386 Demand Response incentive. Funds are deposited in the Utility Reserve account.
The cost of the Energy Performance Contract would be recouped with resulting energy savings over the life of the contract.
UTSA will procure funding of additional conservation projects through funding requests based on their merits as weighted against other projects.
Utility budget performance is monitored via utility Key Performance Indicators that are reported quarterly via Performance Review Meetings with Facilities management to discuss performance. Energy Utilization Index, Water Use Index, Energy Rates, Water Rates, Total Utility Cost and Budget-to-Actual performance is reported.
Facilities takes advantage of an early payment discount from Win-Sam Inc. (third-party energy plant operator). The University saved $12,497 in 2022.
Deferred Maintenance and Library, Equipment, Repair and Rehabilitation (LERR) Funding will continue to be proposed to fund conservation projects based on their benefits to the university. South Thermal Energy Plant boiler addition project received $1.5 million from the UT System Equipment Finance Program, which uses revenue financing debt as an alternative to vendor lease purchase financing. This funding allowed the purchase of an improved efficiency boiler that is expected to generate utilities savings.
EMPLOYEE AWARENESS PLAN
Training of Facilities staff to take place to demonstrate how our actions affect cost. Facilities staff have direct access to energy operations and are uniquely able to identify areas of inefficiency because of their access to energy production and conversion systems. Additionally, a well-informed Facilities organization can offer vital conservation suggestions to new construction and renovation projects that will continue to be implemented as UTSA grows.
An awareness video was created in 2021 highlighting how the H-E-B Student Union achieved the milestone of operating on 100 percent renewable energy during the summer as a result of reduced electrical demand related to reduced campus operations due to COVID.
Non-E&G customers continue to be provided with monthly reports detailing how their cost and consumption trended against previous month and previous year to determine performance. This ongoing practice provides customers with information on trends and assistance is offered to troubleshoot as well as assistance to reduce costs.
UTSA takes part in awareness campaigns such as Energy Awareness Month and Earth Day through support of Student Government. Activities include setting up awareness booths and taking part in planning committees.
The Office of Facilities assisted with the city of San Antonio’s Energy Benchmarking Discovery Phase. Program was launched to determine the viability of energy end-users entering building energy data into the Energy Star® Portfolio Manager to set benchmarks and compare performance to facilitate energy conservation initiatives.
Articles on conservation projects have been and will continue to be included in campus newsletters (UTSA Today, Business Affairs – Business Horizons, The Paisano, Sombrilla – UTSA’s Alumni Magazine) to bring awareness to ongoing efforts and to solicit ideas for future efforts. In 2022 UTSA Today published an article on ongoing conservation efforts and the resulting 37 percent decrease in EUI (Energy Utilization Index) since UT Systems Energy Utilization Task Force set their 20 percent reduction stretch goal over a 20-year period beginning in 2001.
Office of Facilities conducts tours of mechanical systems with for student organizations like American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the College of Engineering & Integrated Design’s Masters in Facilities Management curriculum.
Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report was supported in 2016 and 2020 to assess UTSA’s sustainability ranking. The 2016 assessment yielded a bronze designation, and the 2020 assessment yielded a silver designation. This assessment serves as an educational and awareness tool for students and is a mechanism by which information is shared among the UTSA community. The Office of Sustainability participates in this assessment tool and coordinates with the various campus offices to complete the assessment.
Assisted the International District Energy Association with thermal energy plant performance data for their Department of Energy collaboration whose purpose was to identify and document best practices among leading district energy systems that have underdone significant upgrades and improvements over the past 10 to 20 years.
