Ohio University signed a contract with Constellation New Energy to implement its renovation project that will make 72 campus buildings energy efficient.
The project is estimated to cost the university about $28 million and is expected to pay for itself in 15 years, said Mike Gebeke, executive director of facilities management.
Ohio Air Quality Development Authority agreed to loan the university $29 million in the form of two bonds to fund the project, according to a news release.
Utility reduction is expected to be $1.9 million a year, said Joe Hudak, a representative from Constellation New Energy.
Changes to general fund buildings could include lighting upgrades, ventilation upgrades, kitchen improvements, pipe and blanket instillation and a redesign of campus water systems.
“The biggest thing is that the university is making all these upgrades without having to use any capital money,” Hudak said.
Constellation New Energy beat out Johnson Controls, Energy Systems Group and Siemens and has guaranteed that energy savings will result from upgrades, Gebeke said.
Ohio House Bill 251, signed by Gov. Ted Strickland in 2007, states that all Ohio public universities must reduce their energy intensity, usage per gross square foot, by 20 percent compared to 2004 levels.
“OU is being good stewards of the money coming and also good stewards of the environment by saving energy,” Hudak said.
The university could also be entering a second contract with a third-party company that includes finer financial details, he said.
The university also hopes to use some of the savings to complete various deferred maintenance projects, such as repairing broken equipment, Gebeke said.
“Cutting back on energy usage is important for the university because it will reduce excess energy usage, reducing wastefulness and cutting costs, which I am sure will have many benefits to the university as well as giving Ohio University a good name,” said Christina Carrizales, a sophomore studying visual communication.
The project would begin with a two-year construction phase, which would be the only portion of the upgrade that students should notice, Gebeke said.
bl171210@ohiou.edu
