NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: Vicki Hudson 616.234.4206
GRCC ENERGY SAVINGS HIT 16.25 PERCENT
AFTER ONLY FIVE MONTHS UNDER NEW PROGRAM
November 17, 2008 Grand Rapids, MI - In the first five months of their new Energy Education program, Grand Rapids Community College reduced their energy use by 16.25% over the same period last year. In today’s market dollars, that translates to $224,152.66.
The actual energy saved comes to 1.2 million kWh of electricity and 82.7 Therms of natural gas, the equivalent of 230 cars being permanently removed from the highways annually.
According to Thomas Smith, head of GRCC facilities, most of the college’s success comes from having a trained Energy Manager on the job.
“The education component of our program is critical because education affects human behavior and that can create long-term change,” said Smith. “Sometimes it is just a matter of getting people to look at things differently. Often with new information they are eager to jump onboard, especially when it affects the environment.”
Although the college is reminding employees and students about simple solutions - like turning off computer monitor screens as well as the computers, Smith says that is not what is saving GRCC a quarter of a million dollars on energy. “GRCC’s Energy Manager, Dorothy Burns, is in the trenches every day inspecting boilers, testing air handling units, and using digital monitors to study water and room temperatures, leaks, and usage patterns,” says Smith.
She’s working closely with GRCC’s energy conservation partner, Energy Education. The national conservation company’s experts work closely with Burns and other key personnel to analyze energy use throughout college facilities and change operational practices to conserve energy wherever possible.
“Energy Education experts have trained me to watch, measure, and educate” explains Burns. “I monitor such things as equipment, occupancy patterns, and temperatures to help ensure that we are only using the energy we need."
It is also Burns’ job to actively educate others to understand those patterns. Energy Education calls their approach the Transformational Energy Management Process™.”
Recognizing that one size does not fit all, Energy Education personnel are actively involved at each site, offering literally hundreds of recommendations and an implementation plan to accomplish those recommendations. And they guarantee results. If clients do not save at least as much as they spend implementing the plan, the company will write them a check for the difference.
Grand Rapids Community College, established in 1914, offers both liberal arts and workforce development degrees, certification and workshops. Student enrollment for both credit and non-credit courses reached 28,000 in the 2007-08 academic year.
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