EUGENE–The University of Oregon is feeling "energized" since it reached a monetary milestone of more than $1 million in incentives received from the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) for energy-saving projects.

Many people assumed the university would be using more energy today than it did four years ago since the UO is now heating and cooling approximately 12,000 more gross square feet in new buildings and remodels. Instead, however, the UO is using no more energy now than in 1995.

That is good news for taxpayers, local rate payers and the university. Since locally only Hyundai uses more energy, the university’s energy savings is also good news for the environment. More efficient use of existing energy resources lessens the demand for new dams and power plants.

UO officials credit their energy-savings success to the combined efforts of EWEB and the UO’s Facilities Services Department.

"Our partnership with EWEB is good for the university and good for the environment, and it saves money," says Laurie Matsen, UO Facilities Services mechanical supervisor. "We are the second largest electricity user in Eugene, behind Hyundai, and any measures we take for conservation have an enormous positive impact in the surrounding community."

Matsen says that EWEB has helped to fund anywhere from 15 to 70 percent of campus energy conservation projects.

"We are committed to continuing our relationship with the university by helping to identify new conservation projects," says John Mitchell, EWEB communications coordinator. "We believe in looking at ways to conserve energy first, before we pursue other energy sources. The success of these university projects underscores the wisdom of this philosophy."

"Without the energy conservation incentives provided by EWEB, and without the support of George Hecht, director of Campus Operations, and Dan Williams, vice president for administration, we wouldn’t have these energy-conserving measures," says Ron Neet, UO Facilities Services utilities manager. "They have allowed us to design and install the most energy-efficient measures in the remodels and to standardize and upgrade existing campus equipment."

Most recently, EWEB provided a $422,000 incentive for a chilled water project that modernized the university’s chiller plant and replaced two old steam-driven chillers with new high-efficiency electric centrifugal chillers.

Campus buildings use steam for heating and chilled water for cooling, depending on the time of year. Even when outside temperatures are in the 50s and 60s, the buildings require cooling because of the number of occupants and heat-generating sources such as computers, lights and other equipment.

The university had two inefficient absorption chillers that were unable to meet the demand created by new facilities, and EWEB’s incentive led to the installation of state-of-the-art variable frequency pumps with digital controls.

Typically, UO officials identify projects such as these and bring in engineering firms to conduct energy studies. They tabulate the costs associated with the firm’s recommendations. Finally, EWEB takes those numbers, determines the amount of savings the project will generate and proposes monetary incentives based on those numbers.

Other conservation projects at the university have included the Erb Memorial Union Food Court, the Moshofsky Sports Center and the Education Building second-floor remodel. Currently, EWEB is working with the university on the new William W. Knight Law Center at East 15th and Agate and the Recreation and Fitness Center in Esslinger Hall.

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