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Indiana University Office of Sustainability
Qualified Energy Savings Project
Final Report Summer 2012
Andrew Bushnell
Mentor: Charlie Matson
Introduction
As the Energy and Built Environment intern, I worked on a variety of projects
throughout the summer. Many of my tasks were related to the Qualified Energy
Savings Projects (QESP) and the effort to publish Request for Proposals (RFPs) in
the coming months. This process will be explained in greater detail below. In
addition to the QESP, my work also consisted of other small projects such as issuing
renewable energy credits for Union Center apartments and proof reading other
RFPs for IU regional campuses. Given the varied nature of the work, a single topic
report would be inadequate. Therefore, this report will focus on two projects that
had the greatest priority and were my main responsibilities this summer. The first
project was to gather and analyze utilities data for the use of contractors in the
QESP bidding process, and the second project was to compile the Annual Solar
Photo Voltaic Report (PV Report) for the IU Bloomington Campus.
Background of QESP
To understand the QESP process, it is necessary for a little background.
Initiated in 1993 by the state of Indiana, this program is designed to give State
Facilities and Higher Educational Institutions the ability to designate and implement
projects that will save energy. Here at IU, that means funding renovation and
retrofitting projects that decrease energy usage in campus buildings. The process as
outlined in the state code, allows higher education institutions to raise $15,000,000
to fund QESPs. The funding is derived from the sale of University issued bonds, and
debt is repaid from the savings resulting from the energy conservation measures.
Stipulations under the QESP program allow the University to choose the exact
buildings it would like to work on, but projects must have a payback of 10 years or
less in order to obtain QESP designation and funding. Across the state, many higher
education institutions have already completed initial rounds of QESP projects. On IU
regional campuses such as IU North and IU Kokomo, a full phase of energy savings
projects has already been completed. The process has started here with the
selection of buildings being completed based on input from Integrated Energy
Master Plan, a report that describes the Universities energy usage and outlines areas
for improvement, and also in part on high-‐energy usage and a lack of renovations
planned for the future. Phase 1 of the IU Bloomington QESP includes 12 buildings on
campus. The following is a list of the buildings;
Group 1 Group 2
Jordan IMU
Chemistry Memorial Stadium
Psychology Assembly Hall
Musical Arts Center Cyclotron
Simon Music Library Theatre and Drama
Art Museum Tennis Center
Group 1 includes buildings that will require special mechanical engineering
expertise because of the existence of scientific laboratories and complex mechanical
systems. Group 2 requires less need for specific contractor expertise and includes a
more general set of buildings and projects.
While the process is currently under way, it is still a long way from completion.
From the selection of buildings to the completion of projects, the process could take
anywhere from 2-‐3 years. In all, there are 6 main steps in the QESP process. These
steps are outlined below.
1. Selection of buildings to participate in program. Buildings are usually:
a. High energy users
b. Have no major renovations planned in the near future
2. Request for Proposal (RFP) is generated and sent out.
a. RFP is sent only to pre-‐qualified contractors
b. RFP includes list of projects in each building that were determined
by IU
3. Bid process begins
a. Contractors bid on the projects they would like the contract for
b. One contractor is selected for each building
4. Contracts Negotiated
a. Once contractors are chosen, IU will negotiate the terms of
contract
5. Contractors submit project plans, specifications, and designs.
a. IU must approve all plans before work begins on the projects
6. Work begins
In general, this is the process that the typical QESP will follow. Funding for the
projects will initially be provided internally from existing University funds. After
work begins on the projects, the University then will issue the bonds that will
provide $15 million of funding as outlined by the state code.
QESP Work
As an intern this summer, I worked mainly on gathering historical and
current utilities data that will be sent out when the RFPs are issued. The term
utilities data includes: electricity, water direct, condensate, gas, and chilled water.
The utilities information was gathered from a variety of sources including historical
data from spreadsheets provided by previous interns, and newer data from Glen
Moulton, a member of the utilities information group. Chilled water data was
obtained from Ken Horrocks, an energy management supervisor in the building
systems department. The data that was gathered was selectively copied for QESP
buildings and transferred to a spreadsheet document that included Group 1 and
Group 2 of the IUB QESP. A sample of the spreadsheet is included in Appendix-‐1.
Although the majority of the utilities data was available, some of the information
was missing due to broken metering or inconsistent and faulty meters. At the end of
the process, the data was reviewed and checked for anomalies. The product of this
work is a document that tracks the historical utilities usage for buildings in the
QESP. It will be posted in a project docs website that will be issued with the RFP,
which will be used by contractors to accurately calculate energy paybacks and help
guide them in their selection for project bids. While just a small part of the larger
QESP program, this work will be integral in the coming months for the smooth and
successful completion of the bidding process.
QESP and Sustainability
According to the Integrated Energy Master Plan, IUB’s annual energy
consumption contributes 489,895 tons of CO2 to the atmosphere each year. Of this
number, lighting is the single largest energy consumer and contributes to about
19% of the total carbon emissions with other consumers such as cooling, heating,
fans and building equipment playing majority parts in energy consumption and C02
emissions. In working towards goals of a more sustainable campus in the coming
years, efforts will be made to reduce current levels of energy consumption and
decrease total CO2 emissions. To do this, the University will take a number of
measures. Of these measures, one of the most important tools in this effort will be
the QESP program. Under the program many projects include lighting upgrades and
improvements to building’s mechanical systems, which will go a long way to reduce
some of the Universities greatest energy consumption structures. In addition, the
QESP will provide a revolving fund that designates money each year for energy
savings projects. Such a fund will help focus the University on addressing energy use
each year and identifying energy savings projects. Although the QESP is just in the
beginning stages, it will provide a future structure for the University to reduce
energy usage. Aggressively continuing the program in the future to identify and
implement energy savings measures will be essential to making IUB a more
sustainable institution.
Annual Photo Voltaic Report
In addition to the work completed for the QESP process, I also worked on
compiling the Annual Photo Voltaic Report. After the first solar panels at IU were
installed on the Memorial Union back in April 2011, it has been necessary to compile
and catalogue information on the solar arrays here on campus. The information,
which includes location of arrays, specific panel information, and monthly energy
production, is compiled in an Annual Photo Voltaic Report. This year the report
includes four separate locations of arrays. In addition to the array on the IMU, IUB
now has arrays on Briscoe, Tulip Tree, and E-‐House. The table below summarizes
the locations of the arrays, the dates they were put into service, and the size of the
array in max output capacity.
Location Date put into Service Max Output Capacity
(kWp)
IMU 4/29/11 1.88
Briscoe 7/27/2011 (South Tower)
3/23/2012 (North Tower)
20.68
Tulip Tree 2/14/12 5.38
E-‐House 11/27/11 4.0
As the table above shows, Briscoe is by far the biggest solar array on campus
followed by the new installation on Tulip Tree and the smaller arrays on E-‐House
and the IMU.
Included in the report was also information on energy production
throughout the year (July 1-‐June 30). To gather this data, information was drawn
from the web portals where the solar arrays report and log their energy production.
The web portals provide a day-‐by-‐day and even hour-‐by-‐hour history of energy
production since the arrays installation. For the purpose of the report, energy data
was gathered on month-‐by-‐month basis. Using this data, the Solar PV Report tracks
the 4 arrays throughout the year. From the chart below, we can see that while
Briscoe and IMU have been up and running for the whole year, the remaining arrays
were put into service throughout the year. Specific information on the energy
production for each array can be found in the table in Appendix -‐2. A summary of
the data can be seen in the graph below which shows each array and their monthly
energy production.
In total, campus produced about 24.8 MWh (Mega Watt Hours). This is enough
energy to power almost 190 light bulbs (60 watt) for 1 year or about 2.15 US
households for 1 year.1 Although this may seem insignificant at a University with
hundreds of large buildings, it is a significant step towards increased sustainable
energy production on campus.
Solar PV Report and Sustainability.
The Annual Solar PV report is an important record and measure of the
University’s sustainability efforts. It not only provides documentation and specific
information on each of the solar arrays on campus, but it also can be used as a public
document for anyone looking at information on renewable energy resources at IU.
In addition, it can be used a resource for sustainability related reports and
diagnostics done at IU. While no solar arrays were currently installed when the
2008 Sustainability Report was published, future reports will rely on documents
like the Annual PV report to provide accurate data on IU’s solar energy production.
As a measure of sustainability, it is also important for reporting to sustainability
rating organizations such as STARS (Sustainability Tracking Assessment and
Reporting System) and Green Report Card. These organizations use categorized
ranking systems to judge the overall sustainability of a campus, and renewable
1 US Energy Information Administration. (2011, December 6). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved July 29, 2012, from How much electricity does an American home use?: http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3
energy is an important category used to measure sustainability. With sustainability
Rankings quickly becoming an important factor in school selection, it is integral that
IU keeps up with current information and works towards gaining recognition as a
sustainable campus. Finally, the annual report is also important for keeping the
solar arrays in peak working condition. Analyzing the monthly numbers, we can see
anomalies that might point to mechanical or electrical failures. Maintaining the
arrays is important so that they can produce near their peak capacity and provide
the best return on the investment.
Recommendations
As my internship comes to a close, there have been a number issues that have come
up throughout the summer. To address these issues, a list of recommendations is
included below. These recommendations are intended as suggestions to improve
the overall sustainability and sustainability related information at the University.
Publicize Information on QESP
When explaining my internship to fellow interns and faculty on campus, I
found that few people knew what the QESP process was. As an important part of a
campus wide plan to conserve energy, I think that it is important for the University
to provide information on the QESP process. There is currently no webpage or
paragraph on any webpage that provides information on QESP in Bloomington.
Because of the lack of information, I think a webpage either through the Office of
Sustainability or IU Building Services would be a good way to spread knowledge
about the program and the benefits it will have.
Expand Use of QESP Funds
QESP Funds are currently only being used for retrofits of older buildings. As
the University completes these projects, it would be beneficial to expand the use of
funds for new projects. Such projects could include a demonstration green roof, or a
new solar array. These projects would stay within the bounds of energy
conservation projects in addition to creating a more sustainable environment at IU.
They would also provide a more public way of demonstrating the University’s
commitment to energy conservation.
Make Solar Web Portals Public
Currently, the general public can only access two of the four web portals for
IU’s solar arrays. Although the IMU and E-‐House have public web portals, systems
administrators are the only ones who can view the data for Briscoe and Tulip Tree.
As a symbol of IU’s sustainability movement, the lack of access and information for
our solar arrays is not acceptable. A webpage should be made that has links to the
portals and information on the location and size of our solar arrays. These arrays
should be a point of pride for the University, but as of now the public has little
access to information about them.
Publish the Annual Solar PV Report
The Annual Solar PV report is a document that would be of interest to many in the
IU and Bloomington community. While it is relatively new, I think it is important
that the information be spread, so that the public becomes aware of University
efforts to become more sustainable. As leaders of the community and a respected
academic institution, access to information is vital. The Annual PV Report would be
well suited to be placed on the IUOS website, and possibly featured as a story in the
Indiana Daily Student.
Conclusion
Although much of my work completed throughout the semester consisted of
data entry and data analysis, I feel surprisingly inspired as my internship draws to a
close. Coming into the internship, my general attitude was that IU was not trying
hard enough to become a more sustainable campus. However, after working on the
QESP program and compiling the Solar PV Report, I soon came to recognize the fact
the IU is indeed taking steps towards a greener future. The QESP program is a great
step towards reducing energy consumption, and in just two years, the University
has gone from having no solar arrays to having four. That is progress if I have ever
seen it. In the future, it will be interesting to see how both the QESP program and
solar production on campus develop. While the work that I completed this summer
exposed me to two wonderful sustainability related activities at IUB, they are both
just small steps and there are definitely other improvements to be made. IU is on the
track and making steady progress, and I am hopeful for what the future holds for the
University.
Appendix 1.
2.
IMU BRISCOE TULIP TREE E HOUSE July 308.18 232 0 0 August 293.301 1397 0 0 September 181.949 1253 0 0 October 216.29 1209 0 0 November 120.524 787 0 16.39200558 December 100.635 653 0 192.2691971 January 114.123 888 0 181.992 February 160.017 1184 244.98 320.71 March 238.706 910.1 653.91 493.961 April 269.215 2040.09 759.79 492.349 May 316.956 1803.93 911.68 533.829 June 319.595 3546.39 924.85 573.223 Total 2639.491 15903.51 3495.21 2804.725203 *All measurements are in kilowatt hours (kWh)
