Industrial Assessment Center members conduct an energy audit on a boiler.
Key Performance Indicators
Each year NC State, along with community colleges and universities across the state, provide a Strategic Energy and Water Annual Report to the State Energy Office showing the status of energy usage and progress towards goals, both short-term and long-term. The university’s progress is reported through key performance indicators, which provide a consistent platform to measure and compare energy use from year-to-year. Progress from fiscal year 2012 includes:
- In the last 9 years, NC State’s total energy consumption per gross square foot decreased by 13 percent.
- Campus water consumption has dropped 43 percent in the last decade.
- It’s estimated that energy management efforts save NC State $10 million per year in avoided utility costs.
- The campus-wide Winter Holiday Energy Setback initiative saved more than $290,000 in avoided energy costs.
- $1.5 million in avoided energy costs will be returned to campus for investment in additional energy saving projects.
Smart Grid: the future of energy management
Emerging smart grid technology has the potential to revolutionize NC State’s energy conservation efforts. A smart grid is the utility distribution system of which smart meters are a key component. These meters are a two-way telecommunication enabled electrical meter that measures utility consumption.
Energy Management is developing and deploying a long range plan to install smart meters on all NC State buildings, allowing real-time access to energy consumption data that should enable faster identification and resolution of distribution problems.
Smart grid technology also enables real-time pricing of utilities based on peak demand; thereby, greatly reducing energy consumption and cost. While NC State is beginning to use this technology, much more work is required to realize the full benefits of this technological breakthrough.
