What did it take to put this ambitious plan into action?
1. Identify unoccupied spaces
The first step was to look at how space is being utilized, especially conference rooms and classrooms. Early on the decision was made to exclude labs, and, of course, patient care spaces. Could less populated spaces need less energy? At the Rutter Center, although conferences aren’t being held and the Fitness & Recreation center is closed, the lockers and showers are open for doctors and nurses. It takes a lot of energy to heat the Fit Rec pools, so we decided to turn down the heat, though we still chlorinate them to ward off algae. After some research, our focus shifted to spaces within buildings getting less use, like the second floor of 654 Minnesota Street, or several floors in Byers Hall and Genentech Hall.
2. Coordinate with facility building engineers
Some buildings already have remote controls to manage energy, and some still require controls to be manually modified. Building engineers and trades know the intimate details of HVAC and the technical specifications of each building.
3. Get the facility managers involved
Facilities leveraged the facility manager relationships with building occupants to see if teams were still operating in the building. Facility Managers understand the operations within each building, and how the people inside it work.
4. EOC review and approvals, professional engineer design reviews
After assembling an action plan, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was responsible for reviewing and approving the proposal. Some suggested actions had never been done before, so plans were also reviewed with professional design engineers to ensure we are continuing to meet all the code and safety requirements as we use less energy.
5. Monitor and measure
Facilities will be monitoring the occupancy rates so that buildings can ramp up HVAC services as needed when the workforce starts to return. They will also be monitoring the results closely to measure cost and emissions savings.
The rest is up to us
To meet our sustainability goals, the rest of the way is up to each of us and the personal actions we take every day.
