| Title |
Quantifying potential savings from sustainable energy projects at a large public university: An energy efficiency assessment for texas state university |
| ID_Doc |
67468 |
| Authors |
Mohammadalizadehkorde, M; Weaver, R |
| Title |
Quantifying potential savings from sustainable energy projects at a large public university: An energy efficiency assessment for texas state university |
| Year |
2020 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.seta.2019.100570 |
| Abstract |
At Texas State University (TSU) in the United States, "sustainability" is pursued within the context of (1) a non-binding declaration in the University's plan, and (2) a State legislative directive to reduce energy consumption. Grounded in these direct links between sustainability and energy use, this paper evaluates energy efficiency at TSU. The aim of the applied case study is to inventory current (business as usual) energy consumption levels at TSU, and to understand how those levels might change under a regime of more sustainable energy technology. The paper performs financial analysis to show that selected sustainable energy projects can not only reduce energy use at TSU, and thereby strengthen the University's commitment to sustainability. Sustainable energy projects will also save the University money in the long run. The case study draws on a sample of the 13 on-campus buildings with the highest current levels of energy consumption. The approach of the paper is to determine the level of attractiveness of investing in new technology by calculating the Net Present Value (NPV) in terms of financial savings every year (simple payback) or a more extended period (cash flow model). The environmental impact is calculated in terms of CO2 emission based on Scope 2 methodology. We find that TSU could achieve annual electricity savings of 15,391,436 kWh (17% of its annual energy costs) from implementing selected projects and save more than $1,000,000 in annual costs. Overall, TSU could reduce CO2 emissions by 12,561.81 metric tons. The shortest payback period belongs to the pump replacement, and the most significant annual kWh saving is represented by the replacement of the lighting system. Solar panel installation has the highest upfront investment reaching more than $7 million, while its implementation will bring the highest environmental impact by avoiding 2926.81 metric tonnes of CO2 every year. However, the recommended minimum cost of energy at 14-16 (cent/kWh) for solar panel implementation cannot compete with the 8 cents per kWh paid for the electricity at San Marcos. The findings have immediate practical relevance for campus planning at TSU, and the methods are replicable and extendable for use by practitioners and researchers at other Universities or large institutions. |
| Author Keywords |
Sustainability; Energy efficiency; Sustainability in higher education; University energy consumption; Financial analysis; CO2 emission; Scope 2 |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) |
| EID |
WOS:000514838400007 |
| WoS Category |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Energy & Fuels |
| Research Area |
Science & Technology - Other Topics; Energy & Fuels |
| PDF |
|