By Isabella Darcy
Managing Editor
The College’s Board of Trustees approved a $14 million investment on Thursday to launch a campus-wide energy efficiency program that is expected to shrink the College’s environmental footprint and cut energy-related operating costs.
The program, called Engineered Solutions, is through PSE&G. Through the program, several of the College’s current energy systems will be replaced with more energy efficient alternatives, which are slated to reduce the College’s carbon emissions by approximately 9.1 million pounds and reduce its annual electricity demand by over 10% over the new equipments’ life of measures — the amount of time it is is estimated to last.
Paul Romano, the College’s senior director of sustainability and energy management, told The Signal that he is “thrilled” to be entering the program. “We’re going to see this is the most impactful and financially prudent thing the College could be doing,” Romano said.
Nearly every building on campus will be affected by the program, primarily through changes in lighting. Approximately 25,000 light fixtures on campus will be replaced with greener alternatives. The mechanical controls for those light fixtures will also be replaced to roll out energy-saving occupancy sensors that will automatically turn off lights when a space is vacant for long enough.
Replacing the College’s existing lighting systems is the forefront initiative through Engineered Solutions, because lighting tends to be responsible for 20-25% of the electricity consumed on campus, according to Romano.
The new lighting systems are expected to be less harsh and better quality.
“You're probably going to have less glare. It's going to be more comfortable,” said Romano. “Pretty much everyone on campus in academic buildings, residential buildings will see improvement.”
Thermal comfort in all campus buildings, reduced maintenance and equipment failures, and the avoidance of future capital expenditures are also expected to be results of joining the program.
The College’s $14 million investment will cover the total cost of program projects. $14 million is a vast investment in energy efficiency for the College. Typically, the institution is more “modest” in how much money it allocates toward energy efficiency-related projects, according to Romano.
PSE&G will cover roughly 55% of project costs, while the College covers the remaining 45%. While it pays for the program, the College will save enough money to not take on any additional debt. This is possible because it will repay its approximately $6 million share through on-bill repayment at 0% interest over an approximately 5-year period.
The College will pay $1,256,979 annually to PSE&G, while it saves $1,295,117 each year. This is about $38,000 in savings annually. Once the repayment period is over, the College is projected to save roughly $1.3 million each year on energy.
There are multiple other New Jersey higher-education institutions participating in the PSE&G program, including Rutgers University and Kean University.
Romano said Engineered Solutions is the first step in a broader initiative to decarbonize the College's campus, meaning working toward eliminating how much carbon dioxide the College emits through its operations.
Carbon dioxide emissions exacerbate the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect, causing too much heat to be trapped in the atmosphere. This contributes to global warming and climate change.
“Wherever we can reduce waste and help the environment is kind of great,” Romano said.
