U-M’s Planet Blue energy audit expected to yield $11 million in savings

Ten percent of $111 million is a lot of money, even in a world where the Canadian dollar outpaces the American green back. And that $11 million is what the University of Michigan hopes to save in energy costs in the next three years as part of its Planet Blue program.Those savings will come by creating efficiencies in 90 of the university’s buildings, and training staff to “think about what they’re doing and how that can save energy,” says Jim Erickson, a spokesman for U-M. How? By moving computer servers to climate-controlled rooms and turning off energy-hogging machines when not in use. The Planet Blue program is the latest in the evolution of university efforts to cut energy costs and establish sustainable practices. The program’s annual $5 million price tag is expected to be recovered through energy savings within two years of full implementation. As of now, five buildings have been targeted in the program’s pilot phase, which wrapped up this summer. Thirty more structures are in line for an energy audit within the next year, 30 the following year and 30 more the year after that.The first five buildings included the Institute for Social Research, Chemistry, Space Research, Rackham and Fleming. Among the efficiencies that have been discovered are installing occupancy sensors for fume hoods in the Chemistry Building ($200,000 saved annually) and moving a computer server room from Fleming’s basement to a climate-controlled data center in an adjacent building ($97,000). Others include reducing operating hours for HVAC fans in the Institute for Social Research’s Thompson Building ($80,000) and installing daylight/occupancy sensors in six Rackham rooms ($13,000). University officials consider the changes as inexpensive, low-hanging fruit for saving energy.”A lot of it is installation of relatively small pieces of technology,” Erickson says.Source: Jim Erickson, spokesman for the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke