Energy Conservation Project Descriptions

Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem and Trumbull Campus-Wide Energy Conservation Project
Energy conservation measures implemented by The Brewer-Garrett Company at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem and Trumbull campuses will exceed House Bill 251’s 20% energy use reduction goals with guaranteed 38% energy reduction and 42% greenhouse gas reduction. The project is utilizing performance contracting under House Bill 7 for payback of project cost with guaranteed energy savings over a maximum 15-year time period. Total project costs are not to exceed $5,400,000 with over $442,500 total annual guaranteed utility cost savings. Installation processes continued through early August. Boilers were replaced at the Ashtabula Library, Main Hall, and Health and Science Building, Trumbull Science and Technology Building, and the Salem City Center. Select air handler components and several complete air handler replacements were installed. At all five campuses, indoor fluorescent lighting was retrofitted with highly efficient, long-life components and select occupancy sensors were installed. As a result, the campuses will not have lamp costs for four years and ballast costs for five years. Complete exterior parking lot and driveway lighting retrofits to LED fixtures have been completed at Geauga and Ashtabula and several were retrofitted at Salem; those campuses should greatly benefit from a five-year warranty and expected 60K to 100K hours (13 to 22 years) service life. Select building envelope repairs, installation of select high velocity hand dryers, existing equipment retro-commissioning, overall exhaust demand controls, air handler outdoor air controls, vending machine optimization controls and other control strategies round out the balance of energy conservation measures for the overall utility cost and consumption reductions.

College of Podiatric Medicine HB-7 Energy Conservation Project No. KSU-20L026
Facilities and equipment upgrades at the College of Podiatric Medicine will be implemented to meet or exceed the 20% energy reduction goals established by House Bill 251 legislation. Energy conservation measures could likely include: lighting retrofits/select replacements, installation of occupancy sensors, boiler upgrades, HVAC controls and retro-commissioning, water conservation measures, building envelope improvements, and potentially renewable energy sources. Utilizing HB-7 allows for low interest funding and payback of selected ECMs through energy savings over a maximum period of 15 years. In June 2020, The Brewer-Garrett Company was awarded the Energy Performance Contract, Service Agreement, Power Purchase Agreement, and the Site Lease Agreement. This Energy Conservation Project is being managed via OAKS-CI.

Field House Renewable Energy Project
The largest, roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panel electrical system within the University System of Ohio was completed the summer of 2014 at the Field House, working with Third Sun Solar and Wind Power, Ltd. for KSU Field House 1, LLC, a solar power developer. Power production from the solar panels installed by Thompson Electric, Inc. officially began on July 20. Electricity from the solar panels is expected to provide about one-third of the electricity required for the combined Field House and Dix Stadium facilities; since the two facilities are electrically interconnected, each will benefit from the solar panel project. This project is the first in a prospective series of renewable energy projects involving solar panels to be installed on Kent Campus roofs and is expected to be used as a model for other Kent State systems, as well as for other state of Ohio public institutions. Preliminary data for August 2012 indicates that Dix Stadium/Field House used about 130,185 kWh - of which about 39% was solar power; 16,200 kWh of unused solar power was fed back into the Ohio Edison grid and will be credited on the university’s electric bill. (For comparisons: an average home in this region uses about 832 kWh per month). Read more about this project: Soaking Up the Sun: Kent State’s First Renewable Energy Project, Success Stories, May 21, 2012.This project was directly administered by Third Sun Solar and Wind Power, Ltd. for KSU Field House 1, LLC.

Kent Campus Classroom, Laboratory, Auxiliary Buildings and Utility Assets Energy Conservation Project, Phase One
In mid-November 2012, The Brewer-Garrett Company commenced activity on their Performance Contract services for energy conservation measures in Kent Campus classroom, laboratory and auxiliary buildings, Summit Street Power Plant and utilities infrastructure. This project impacted over 3.6 million square feet of buildings, plus parking lot and roadway lighting and campus utilities (electricity, natural gas, chilled water, steam, domestic water and sewer). The potential fifty million dollar project was limited to a twenty-five million dollar Phase 1 with a possible, but yet to-be-determined value, future Phase 2. External special bond funding was approved by the Kent State University Board of Trustees and the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority; funding all-in rate achieved 1.25% with a very positive effect on project cash flow. The project is utilizing Ohio House Bill 7 Performance Contracting regulations for payback of the project costs with guaranteed energy savings and possibly operational and avoided capital costs over a maximum 15-year time period. Expectations for Phase 1 of this project are that the majority of the House Bill 251 energy use reduction goals of 20% will be met. New windows were installed at: Administrative Services Building, Bowman Hall, DeWeese Health Center, Dix Stadium, Library and the Kent State University Museum at Rockwell Hall. New HVAC equipment was installed at: MAC Center, Schwartz Center, and the Ice Arena. Exterior lighting poles were retrofitted with LEDs. The Power Plant’s gas and electric utility contracts and operation were re-negotiated. Building envelope repairs were completed at: Administrative Services Building, Bowman Hall, DeWeese Health Center, Dix Stadium, KSU Museum, Library and Nixson Hall skylights. Bowman, Henderson, Moulton, and Nixson halls received new roofs. Lights with occupancy sensors were retrofitted in seventy-seven structures, air handlers were replaced in the MAC Center gym, chillers, boilers, pumps, heat exchangers and domestic water heating systems were replaced in the Schwartz Center, piping system insulation was installed, building envelopes were repaired, and comprehensive utility metering was installed. With remaining funds, several other projects have been added to the original scope and will extend this performance contract. Nixson Hall's original, 45-year old chiller was failing, thus new piping was connected to the Center for the Performing Arts' chiller. The Library's 46-year old main condensate pump system was replaced due to chronic failures with new steam pressure motive pumps. The Library's front stairwell doors were replaced to save energy and produce a cohesive front entry appearance. The new fiberglass doors were painted to match the new champagne color window system. Two decorative LED uplights were added to the Library west facade to match the existing lights on the south facade. Controls were installed to allow for remotely changing the lighting program to enable special-events lighting. All eleven original mercury light fixtures in the Library overhang were replaced with new LED fixtures with controls. Exterior lighting was replaced with LED and controlled lighting at 12-story main glass wall stairwell for daylight energy savings. View the Kent Campus Academic Buildings Energy Conservation Dashboard.

Kent Campus Classroom, Laboratory, Auxiliary Buildings and Utility Assets Energy Conservation Project, Phase Two
Phase Two (2) of the original Kent Campus Energy Conservation Project enabled Kent State University to reach the twenty percent (20%) energy savings goal established in House Bill 251. In 2012, Kent State University’s Board of Trustees approved implementation of the full cost scope to meet the HB 251 energy saving goals. Prior university funding obligations led to project phasing. Phase Two was the last phase needed to meet the original goal and will provide solutions for best in class Power Plant operations, substantial retirement of deferred renewal and expected savings/revenue of over $12 million after sixteen (16) years. The scope of Phase Two involved select LED retrofits, HVAC and infrastructure enhancements, select window and roof replacements, envelope repairs, Enterprise Optimization System at the combined heat and Power Plant. The Brewer-Garret Company's Performance Contract and their Limited Scope Services Agreement work was completed in the fall of 2018.

Kent Campus Residence Services Energy Conservation Project
This project encompasses approximately 1,800,000 SF of twenty-six residence hall buildings on the Kent Campus to address the House Bill 251 energy use reduction goals. The projected construction installation cost is twenty million dollars, resulting in $1,800,000 total annual guaranteed utility cost savings. The Brewer-Garrett Company commenced installation processes in June 2011 and coordinated with other residence hall projects planned outside of this project's scope through the summer of 2014. This project exceeds the 20% HB 251 energy reduction goals with 37% annual energy consumption savings and avoided greenhouse gas emissions. The project is utilizing provisions per Ohio Legislation HB 7 for payback of project cost with guaranteed energy savings over the allowed 15-year payback time period. In addition, substantial deferred renewal items were addressed: replacement of single-pane, original windows at Prentice, Verder, Dunbar, Lake and Olson halls; installation of air handling equipment in Beall/McDowell Center, and caulking, tuckpointing, lintel repair and replacements on the building envelopes. A student room energy conservation control system was implemented throughout; this strategy automatically reduces HVAC and electrical usage when rooms are unoccupied. Envelope repairs and windows replacements in Dunbar, Prentice, Verder, Lake and Olson halls and envelope repairs at Tri-Towers Rotunda and Engleman Hall are complete. Temperature controls in student rooms are operating in Centennial Courts A-F, Stopher, Johnson, Lake, Olson, Korb, Engleman, Beall, Prentice, Verder, Dunbar, Allyn, Clark, and Wright halls. Room automation at Fletcher, Manchester, Koonce and Leebrick halls were completed before the start of the Fall Semester 2014. The Tri-Towers Complex’s domestic hot water heaters were replaced and the system was upgraded to replace storage tanks in the towers with master mixing valves. Retro-commissioning of the hall’s HVAC equipment was performed to correct any deficiencies and ensure efficient operation. A total of 2,051 water conserving low-flow sink aerators and approximately 1,600 reduced flow showerheads were installed in all of the residence halls. To reduce electricity consumption, lighting was retrofitted in Stopher and Johnson halls, Centennial Courts A-F, Verder, Prentice, Dunbar, Engleman, Lake, Olson, Beall, McDowell, Koonce, Leebrick and Wright halls. New motors with variable frequency drives were installed on the building heating systems in multiple resident halls. Kitchen hood controls were installed in Eastway Center and Tri-Towers Rotunda that will automatically reduce exhaust flows by up to 70% when not required to capture heat and/or fumes from cooking. Heat recovery systems are now being used to extract additional heat from the condensate prior to returning it to the Power Plant at Lake and Olson halls, Centennial Courts A/B, C/D, and E/F. The condensate heat recovery systems reduce the steam required by buildings and help to provide more opportunities for waste heat recovery at the Power Plant. Utility meters were installed in all of the residence halls and are reporting consumptions to the building automation system for billing. The Web-based Residence Hall Energy Conservation Dashboard is publicly accessible. This dashboard is intended to help promote energy conservation and review utility consumptions. Utility meter readings for individual residence halls were used during energy conservation competitions between similar halls. The first year’s energy savings were approximately $2,600,000.00, which far exceeded the guaranteed first-year energy savings projection.

Kent State University Renewable Energy Master Plan
Gravity Renewables Group completed a comprehensive Renewable Energy Master Plan in effort to responsibly and efficiently apply appropriate renewable energy methods throughout Kent State University's campuses. Renewable energy deployment is the next logical step to Kent State's aggressive, energy conservation programs and sustainability initiatives. This comprehensive methodology demonstrates Kent State's stewardship of public funding, responsible cost containment for its students and environmental impact reduction. Curricular components are also being developed. A consulting firm is assisting the university with developing and refining objectives associated with implementing renewable energy solutions across its campuses. The consultant studied the eight campus sites, facilities and utility data and prepared the Master Plan. Phase 1 of the Master Plan was completed on May 5, and suggests projects as "Priority A” 2011 and “Priority B” 2012 and beyond. "Priority A” solar photovoltaic (PV) panel projects recommended at the Kent Campus involves the Field House, Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center and Schwartz Center, and at Stark and Trumbull campuses. A "Priority A” wind turbine project at Ashtabula Campus is suggested. All options for grants and financing are being investigated for maximum overall project success. The first project, solar PV electric panels on the Field House roof, was completed in summer 2012 and officially began providing power on July 20, 2012.

LEED Process Consulting Services
To demonstrate Kent State University’s commitment to sustainability, all large construction and renovation projects undertaken in the future will be certified at the USGBC LEED Silver level or above. After interviewing four shortlisted firms in October, Kent State Office of the University Architect selected one consulting firm to assist with LEED projects to complete certification processes as the university’s representative. The consulting firm is being utilized on larger, upcoming projects as those projects are funded and move forward.

Solar Energy Power Purchase Agreement for Six Regional Campuses KSU-19L806
A Solar Power Developer is developing and then will operate turnkey large solar photovoltaic systems located at six (6) of Kent State University's Regional Campuses: Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, and Trumbull. Kent State University is under contract with TEN NINE Energy, LLC for the Consultant Agreement, Solar Photovoltaic Power Purchase Agreement, and Site Lease Agreement. TEN NINE Energy will install, own, maintain and operate the systems in accordance with O.R.C. 3345.61, .62, .63 and 3345.65. Basic scope: Ground mounted, fixed mount or single axis tracking, solar PV installations on sites of five Regional Campuses and rooftop or canopy solar PV systems at East Liverpool Campus. Preferred maximum 25 year total PPA contract to maximize savings over grid supplied electric power.

Stark Campus-Wide Energy Conservation Project
In June 2012, The Brewer-Garrett Company completed the installation and retro-commissioning phase of this first Energy Conservation Performance Contracting project undertaken by Kent State (six major buildings totaling 340,000 SF). Central chiller plant optimization, along with some air handler component replacements and retro-commissioning affected every major building. Indoor fluorescent lighting retrofits to highly efficient, long-life components occurred at every building along with installation of occupancy sensors. Select building envelope repairs, installation of select high velocity hand dryers, existing equipment commissioning, overall exhaust demand controls, air handler outdoor air controls and vending machine optimization controls, along with other control strategies round out the balance of energy conservation measures for the overall utility cost and consumption reductions. The project is utilizing provisions under House Bill 7 for payback of project cost with guaranteed energy savings over a maximum 10-year time period. Low interest funding was acquired through the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority and tax exempt bonds were secured. Stark will surpass the 20% House Bill 251 energy use reduction goal by saving 37% in energy with 37% greenhouse gas emission reduction. Project construction installation cost was $1,344,000, resulting in approximately $180,000 total annual guaranteed utility cost savings. The energy auditing and verification phase of the project began after final acceptance of the installation phase and continues through the 10-year contract period. For the July 2011 utility billing, one year of utility data was available for measurement and verification purposes. After weather-related adjustments and calculations, the project is performing as expected with energy and cost reductions. During the installation period, Stark received over 29% savings on its electricity costs at the project contract rate (36% at the current electricity cost rate).

Summit Street Power Plant Cooling Towers Upgrades, Phase 2
Two new cooling towers, one tower water pump, one new primary and a secondary chilled water pump were installed in the Summit Street Power Plant. This project also provided new VFDs for each pump and for new cooling towers, new structural steel for towers, controls, balance system, cooling tower controls and programming. The addition of these new cooling towers addressed the necessary capacity issues currently associated with the plant and allows for full operation of the facility. These modifications enable the chilled water plant to save energy through operations and controls.