Even more savings to come with new Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

College Station, Texas — September 30, 2009 — Texas A&M University (TAMU) has an outstanding record of accomplishment in recent years in the area of energy consumption reduction and efficiency improvement.  The TAMU campus has over 21.5 million gross square feet (GSF) of building space and consumes 5.2 trillion Btu’s of energy annually - providing electricity, cooling, heating and other utilities in support of the University’s educational and research mission.   Over the last seven years (FY02 – FY09), $90 million has been cost avoided at TAMU through an active energy management and efficiency improvement program.  The Utilities & Energy Management (UEM) Team manages the campus energy program with ongoing support from the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) and Facilities Maintenance.  This combined expertise in the area of energy and operational efficiency has resulted in a 33% overall reduction in energy consumption per GSF on campus, from 364,000 Btu/GSF in FY02 to 243,000 Btu/GSF in FY09.  This is an incredible accomplishment that has been nationally recognized, with operational efficiency improvements and capital upgrades in the four utility plants serving campus creating the most significant results.

Since the 1890’s, TAMU has generated a significant portion of the electrical power and all thermal (cooling and heating) requirements for campus.  Over the last five years, 29,000 tons of high efficiency cooling capacity has been installed in four campus utility plants to meet new demand and replace older less efficient chillers.  When completed in Summer 2010, TAMU will have over 50,000 tons of central cooling capacity, which is enough to cool 10,000 large homes. The power generation equipment in the Central Utility Plant (CUP) has also reached the end of its useful life and a new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) project is in progress to provide new higher efficiency power and steam generation capacity by 2011.  The CHP project will include the installation of a modern, high-efficiency gas turbine generator and steam turbine generator with 40 megawatts (MW) of electrical power capacity.  A heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) will also be installed with 200,000 lb/hr of steam generation capacity.  These upgrades, together with other electrical and steam system improvements, will further enhance the ability of TAMU to provide clean, reliable, efficient energy to campus – making TAMU truly world class in terms of utility plant reliability and efficiency.  In addition to financial benefits, reduced energy consumption also results in lower Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, helping to create a more sustainable environment.

In addition to operating and optimizing campus utility systems, UEM manages energy systems in the buildings with a mission of meeting customer needs in the most efficient manner possible.  UEM manages an extensive utility metering program, a sophisticated building automation/control system, lighting efficiency improvements, and building energy system retro-commissioning.

Efficiency improvements in the buildings have been positive, but less dramatic than improvements in the utility plants – with a six percent reduction in energy consumption per GSF from FY02 through FY09.  A six percent improvement in campus building energy efficiency is positive, but there is still excellent potential for additional energy conservation and efficiency improvement.  A new initiative at TAMU is placing energy stewards in campus buildings to work actively with building occupants - educating, raising awareness and implementing programs to reduce energy consumption.  Providing leadership and continuing to make progress in the area of energy conservation and efficiency, together with active environmental stewardship, enhances the image of TAMU and supports the teaching and research mission.

For more information:

Jenny Nelson, 979-458-2792 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it