New energy system to cut bills
After receiving a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Develop Authority, Syracuse University has begun to install a new, technologically-advanced system which will save the university both money and energy.

Under the new Power Management system, officials are able to monitor and control the amount of energy used in a particular area on a minute-by-minute basis enabling them to lower energy consumption where it is not needed.

“We are charged by utilities by peak and amount, so when we are reaching the peak, we can scale back on things, turn a light off here or a fan off there, and keep under the peak,” said Steve Lloyd, associate director of the University Energy Conservation Program.

The new system has been partially in effect for some time now, Lloyd said. Power measurement meters, which monitor energy consumption, have been installed in 19 areas on campus including the Office of Design and Construction, the Physical Plant, several university housing units and the energy zones in and around the Carrier Dome.

"We plan to eventually put one in every building on campus," said Lloyd.

However, these additions will take time both as energy costs continue to rise and the program awaits more grant money. Supplying energy costs the university $14 million per year, but the Energy Conservation Program has saved approximately $1.6 million per year over the past seven years.

The new system had been in the works for about three years, with members of the program researching ways to lower energy costs online by checking into new metering technology. Then, they settled upon working with an energy consultant from the Cogenics Corporation to create a performance contract suitable for the university’s needs. The money funding the new system came from anticipated energy savings.

But the members of the Energy Conservation Program do more than sit around their computers and look for the next on-campus energy crisis.

They plan on creating an SU energy council composed of students, faculty and staff, a series of info sharing sessions and a new and improved Web site, Lloyd said. They will also continue to research new energy-saving methods, he added.

Meantime, Tim Sweet, the director of the Energy Conservation Program, Lloyd, and their team are helping the university get more for their money.

“We are preparing to initiate our energy awareness campaign,” said Lloyd. ”We want to raise the level of energy management and conservation awareness to the entire SU community, to incorporate changes in the way we all think about and use energy and utilities.”

Daily Orange – Lindsay Gottinger