Energy management and sustainability at Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University (WKU) has developed an energy management and sustainability policy that promotes and encourages energy efficiency, conservation, and environmental sustainability. In 2008, WKU implemented a pilot energy conservation program that included, among others, a three-week campus-wide shut down at the end of the fall semester. The success of the pilot program led to the development of a university energy policy in December 2009 which provides an energy conservation action plan for faculty, staff, and students. It provides guidelines for consumer energy use, a comprehensive building energy and comfort management, building automation and/or retrofitting of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, renewable energy sources and green building practices as well as university closure periods. Recognizing that universities should be models of responsible environmental stewardship, the policy also encourages a culture of conservation and student engagement through research studies that explore new sources of sustainable energy and the options for clean energy technology. The university's commitment to reducing energy usage, operational cost, utility bills, and greenhouse gas emissions has been generally successful during the last 5 years. This presentation describes the university's energy policy and procedures, its implementation and results during the last 5 years. Information relating to methods deployed for energy conservation, cost avoidance savings, and comparison of trends for energy conservation during the 2008 to 2012 period will also be examined.