PSC Takes Energy to the Next Level
In 2012, PSC underwent an energy audit and a retro-commissioning project with the goal of making its facilities operate more energy efficiently. PSC received the energy audit services through the Cook County Energy Efficiency Program and the retro-commissioning service through the Illinois Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC). These projects assisted the College to prioritize upgrades to reduce energy waste and improve occupant comfort. Read more about the value of retro-commissioning.
As a result, the college:
- Completed a lighting upgrade resulting in a $65,000 annual savings.
- Implemented several smaller projects to save energy including HVAC adjustments and boiler tune ups.
- Identified a smaller lighting upgrade for 2013.
- Implemented an automatic shutdown of computers to save energy when the campus is closed.
Faculty and staff at the college are encouraged to follow PSC's Energy Conservation Guidelines, which guide the operation of energy-using equipment at the college.
The Power To Save Energy Is In Our Hands
Prairie State College was one of four community colleges in the state that participated in a pilot program to reduce energy usage through the implementation of energy monitoring and behavior change techniques.
In May 2013, Prairie State College installed an energy dashboard system in the Health/Tech Center to monitor gas and electric usage.
An additional component of the program included the installation of smart power strips to automatically turn off all peripheral devices (printers, monitors, etc.) after 11 hours. The smart power strips also provide a one-touch option to power down devices upon leaving for the day, thus conserving additional energy between the hours of work ending and the automatic shutdown.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign conducted a research component for this program, which included the modeling of the Health Tech Center and monitoring of energy usage and changes in the building. Additionally, they conducted several surveys to examine energy attitudes and behaviors.
The Dashboard
View the Health/Tech Center’s real time energy
use by clicking The Dashboard image below.
What it is
It’s an energy management system that monitors real time energy usage (both gas and electric) for the Health Tech Center.
How it works
Energy is constantly being used to heat, cool, light and otherwise “power” the building. To monitor the energy being used, sub-meters were attached to the building’s natural gas line and electrical box. These sub-meters record the amount of gas and electricity being used to power the building.
What you see
The information from the sub-meters is displayed on a 47-inch monitor in the hallway of the Health/Tech Center. The information is also available by visiting the "Health Tech Center's Real Time Energy Use" page. Energy usage is shown in kilowatts (kW) for electricity and therms for gas.
Automatic Computer Shut Down
Information Technology Resources began powering-down all campus computers as an energy-saving initiative in January 2013. A typical computer with monitor operates at between 20-40 watts in standby mode and accounts for approximately 25% of the PSC electrical energy demand. While this doesn't seem like much individually, in aggregate, it accounts for 40$ of the energy consumption after the College closes.
ITR and the Sustainability Center will be monitoring energy savings due to this shut down.
You Can Help PSC Save Energy
Faculty and staff at the college are encouraged to follow PSC's Energy Conservation Guidelines which guide the operation of energy-using equipment at the college.
Learn more about how you can help conserve energy at PSC.
Questions or suggestions about how to improve energy efficiency at PSC? Contact the Sustainability Center.
- Allessandra Kummelehne, sustainability coordinator
- (708) 709-3764, Room 2630
- akummelehne@prairiestate.edu