Building proctors, laboratory managers and students, faculty and staff members at the University of Colorado at Boulder will be recognized for their efforts to reduce energy consumption in campus buildings through a new conservation program beginning this fall.
Buff Energy Star Awards will be given to building occupants who cut their building's energy use by at least 5 percent per square foot while also meeting other criteria set by the campus Environmental Center and the Facilities Management Resource Conservation Office, both sponsors of the program. The Environmental Center is a program of the University of Colorado Student Union.
Moe Tabrizi, CU-Boulder's campus energy conservation officer and head of the program, has begun meeting with building proctors and other faculty and staff members to help get savings programs started. Besides reducing energy consumption by 5 percent or more, other criteria for the awards will include displaying conservation posters and energy usage charts for the building, completing a building energy audit through Tabrizi's office and following up on the findings of the energy audit.
"Energy expenses for many campus buildings are more than $150,000 per year and some approach the $1 million mark," said Tabrizi. "Each building also emits thousands of pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere annually, so any effort to reduce these numbers can have a significant impact, especially considering the campus has more than 200 buildings."
The Buff Energy Star Awards will showcase, recognize and reward the occupants of buildings that help the environment and the university budget. Rewards are being determined but may include a combination of incentives such as a recognition plaque for the building proctor, placing a recognition banner on the outside of the building and hosting an ice cream social or other event for all building occupants.
One campus-building proctor who worked with Tabrizi on an energy audit last spring for her building, the McKenna Languages Building, said she is motivated to save energy because "it is important to save resources for future generations. I would love to see energy use go way down in McKenna," said proctor Doreen Williams.
She called the process "easy and painless" and said Tabrizi helped her identify energy-saving projects for building occupants to work on. Williams also wanted her building's monthly energy use and charges to be posted on the energy conservation Web site at , where energy use of participating buildings is posted.
Changes to Macky Auditorium, a popular local venue for concerts and other programs, identified ways to cool the unair-conditioned building in the spring by recommending insulation of steam pipes. Kristen Anderson, director of Macky Auditorium, participated in an energy audit and said it helped identify ways to correct excessive heating, a seasonal problem in the heavily used auditorium.
Besides conserving energy, benefits of the program include reducing the need to find new energy sources, saving the campus money over the lifetime of the project and teaching students and the public about conservation practices.
Campus building proctors or lab managers who are interested in conducting an energy audit for campus buildings or labs, or who have questions, suggestions or nominations for the Buff Energy Star Award program should contact Moe Tabrizi at Moe.Tabrizi@Colorado.EDU.