BCCC Honored for Big Energy Cuts | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    WASHINGTON, NC     The numerous equipment upgrades at Beaufort County Community College have paid off. The college was among 18 North Carolina universities and colleges that achieved over 30 percent energy reductions over the past 8 years. Only nine of the 54 community colleges received the Utility Savings Initiative Award.

    The NC Utility Savings Initiative (USI) and the N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service presented the awards to the community colleges and universities that achieved at least 30 percent reduction in energy usage since state laws establishing energy goals for public facilities went into effect. In 2007, community colleges were required to report their use and cost data to USI, but were not required to reduce their consumption.

    The reductions at BCCC have come mostly from upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) control systems. Eight buildings have had their controls upgraded and two other buildings have had partial upgrades. The upgraded controls balance out energy spikes and maintain temperatures in a way that minimizes the energy needs of existing systems. In addition to the new controls, three building have had their HVAC units replaced entirely. These results do not include the new chiller installed in Building 9 in August, which is expected to further reduce BCCC's energy consumption.

    When BCCC added Building 12, which houses the Division of Allied Health, it built it to LEED standards. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Building 12 has achieved 20 percent efficiency compared to buildings of a similar size. Even as BCCC was added classroom space, it saw its energy consumption continue to drop due to the efficiency built in to the new construction and the retrofits.

    "The funds and effort that we have put into our upgrades have really paid off," said Wesley Adams, director of campus operations at BCCC. "Even as we experienced the hottest summer on record, we have seen our energy consumption stay flat."

    The state Utility Savings Initiative works with all 14 state agencies and 21 state universities and affiliates that report their progress toward the energy and water use reduction goals. To help public facilities achieve the 30 percent goal, staff members with the initiative provide assistance in the form of strategic energy management planning, energy performance contracting, on-site energy audits, energy management training and a host of other areas, said Len Hoey, who leads the Utility Savings Initiative.

    By reducing its energy consumption, the college is reducing operational costs, therefore saving taxpayer dollars, and reducing carbon emissions, which are directly responsible for climate change. The total avoided energy costs from 2008-2016 amount to over $205,000. During that time period, the college avoided 5,587 metric tons of carbon emissions.

    Energy efficiency is often considered the invisible energy source, since it does not require the construction of new power sources, renewable or fossil fuel. The annual efficiencies gained by college are the equivalent of taking 177 cars off the road or energy needs 88 average homes.

    These achievements are part of Beaufort County Community College's commitment to provide a quality, affordable education while being responsible with county and state tax dollars. BCCC plans to continue upgrading its equipment and leading the way through innovation.

    Beaufort County Community College is a public comprehensive community college committed to accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training, and lifelong learning opportunities for the people served by the College.