The goal of the Energy Management section of the Utilities Department is to minimize Cornell's impact on precious energy resources. The Energy Management staff works to identify areas where educating users, employing new technologies or replacing aging or less efficient equipment will improve energy conservation. The Energy Managment program encompasses a broad spectrum of campus operations with support from Contract Colleges Facilities, Campus Life, and several other operating units.
Cornell University Ithaca campus includes nearly 14 million square feet, and is provided with heat and cooling from two central district energy systems. Electricity for the campus is provided from on site sources and New York State Electric and Gas. The Central Heating Plant generates steam for heating from six large industrial boilers fueled by coal, oil, and gas. A summary of fuel use and plant efficiency is included in the attachments. The central chilled water system is cooled by Lake Source Cooling, a Cayuga Lake based non-contact cooling system at 13% of the energy used by conventional systems. This system utilizes a renewable resource, deep water in Cayuga Lake chilled each winter by cold outside air, instead of energy hungry refrigeration based chillers. LSC produces chilled water at a rate of only 0.1 kW/ton-hr. 15% of campus electric use is generated by a small hydroplant and a cogeneration facility. The Cogen facility generates electricity using one half the energy of a conventional electric generating plant, because all heat normally wasted is used to heat the campus.
Campus facilities are dominated by high technology research and teaching complexes, requiring complex mechanical and electrical systems to support these missions. Energy use is fully metered in all campus buildings, and it is managed utilizing Building Automation and control Systems (BACS) connected to a central monitoring and control system. University design and construction standards have for 20 years provided guidance to engineers, architects, designers, and maintenance staff on how to minimize energy use. All features included in the buildings are added based on their need and value for program or New York State Energy Code, and their ability to pay for themselves in energy savings.
A full time staff of two Certified Energy Managers and a Senior Engineer oversee the university energy management program for the central plants (supply side) and the buildings (demand side).
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