In keeping with the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, Lynchburg College has hired Ameresco, an energy services company, to do a comprehensive energy audit of the campus.
In 2007, President Kenneth Garren signed the Climate Commitment, which requires colleges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Lynchburg College is among the first institutions in Lynchburg to hire an energy services company (ESCO) and hopes to serve as a model for the larger community.
"As a student, it was a great experience to be a part of the ESCO team that made a decision which will affect the overall environmental impact of Lynchburg College," said Jennifer Thurman, a junior chemistry major from Roanoke. "An energy audit is crucial, in order to determine how LC can most effectively initiate future steps toward carbon neutrality."
During its bid proposal and preliminary audit of three buildings in the fall of 2008, Ameresco outlined modifications that would have resulted in a savings of up to 35 percent were the College to enact all its suggestions. A committee of faculty, students, and staff selected Ameresco from among three energy services companies.
Dr. Kevin Peterson, associate professor of mathematics and a member of the selection committee, said he liked the piece of Ameresco's proposal that focused on behavioral education, as well as the energy savings. "It's a great first step for Lynchburg College to move toward reducing our carbon footprint," he said.
Ameresco has begun a 90-day energy audit of the entire Lynchburg College campus, including the Claytor Nature Study Center in Bedford County. The idea is to generate energy savings that cover debt service on the cost of upgrading facilities to make them more energy efficient.
Steve Bright, vice president for business and finance, said the College hopes to install lighting controls, as well as some heating and cooling system upgrades, as early as this summer. The program will not result in financial risk to the College, Bright said, because energy services companies are contractually bound to pay the difference if the projected savings are not realized.
"Ameresco hopes to cut the College's energy usage for electricity, natural gas, and water by more than 25 percent a year," said Neal Chambers, an Ameresco representative. "With skyrocketing AEP rates and overall utility volatility, now is a great time to be implementing this type of energy conservation project."
The Lynchburg College project covers just less than one million square feet in 30 campus buildings and 75 student houses. Among the possible upgrades are high efficiency lighting and lighting controls, a campus-wide energy management system, new boilers, new air conditioning systems, a water conservation program, upgrade of radiator controls in dormitories, windows with solar control, computer network power management, and field house improvements.
Ameresco has worked with colleges and universities around the country to implement energy management improvements, resulting in millions of dollars in annual energy savings and the reduction of tons of carbon emissions.
For more information, contact Shannon Brennan, director of media relations, at 434/544-8609.