Chair: Pat Daly
In Executive Order 484, "Leading By Example - Clean Energy and Efficient Buildings," signed on April 18, 2007, Governor Patrick required a reduction in overall energy consumption in state-owned and leased buildings by 20% by fiscal year 2012 and 35% by 2020 (based on a fiscal year 2004 baseline).
The Energy Subcommittee works to make sure that the UMA meets these goals outlined in EO484. Since 2004 the UMA has been steadily reducing its overall utilities use on a unit basis from 11.55 total kWH/GSF down to 10.55. The energy committee is tasked with overseeing significant efforts into improving the condition and reliability of its utiltiies infrastructure and making sure behavioral conservation efforts are implemented.
In 2004, the campus issued a Request for Bids for energy service contractors (ESCO) and developed a $42 million performance contract with Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI)-a contract which guaranteed that the campus would reduce its utilities costs by $6.5 million per year. The project covered the entire 10 million square feet of campus space. The campus reduced its steam use by 24 percent, electric use by 9 percent and water use by 43 percent. Given the success of this cost-reduction project, the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance implemented an in-house program in which the Physical Plant Division may propose energy-reduction projects that have a simple payback of up to seven years in utilities savings. See the E+ Project page which outlines these projects.
