Case Study

Leading New
York University
New York, NY

Customer Challenges

  • Find an energy management system to function in
    multiple buildings of different ages with unique room
    layouts and varied heating/cooling systems
  • Increase thermal comfort and control for students
  • Reduce energy usage to minimize campus carbon
    footprint and meet sustainability goals

The Perfect Balance of Comfort and Energy Efficiency.

Finding a Solution
Faced with rising energy costs and new commitments to become a model
for campus energy efficiency, the learning New York University required an
energy management system that would minimize energy usage, upgrade the
dormitory experience for students, and provide ease-of-use for the maintenance department. With an astronomical 96.5% of the university’s energy used for heating, cooling, and powering buildings, the leading New York University needed a solution.

Challenge 1: Adapt to Several Unique Buildings
The residence halls at a leading New York University include newer high-rise
dormitories as well as converted apartment complexes and former hotels.
Several different systems heat and cool each building, including PTACs, fan coil systems, and water source heat pumps. Retrofitting the heating and cooling equipment for energy efficiency required an adaptable solution. Sustainable Resources Manager at a leading New York University , appreciated the flexibility of Telkonet’s technology. “The adaptability of both EcoSmart™ and SmartEnergy™ proved invaluable when it came to retrofitting multiple buildings with significantly different heating and cooling systems,” Anderson said. “The technology itself is sophisticated – but Telkonet has made its operation incredibly simple and user-friendly.”

Challenge 2: Provide Students with an Improved Residentm Experience
Before the installation of EcoSmart or SmartEnergy technology, building managers at the leading New York University’s residence halls had to rely on student complaints for alerts about down equipment, and achieved energy savings only by shutting the system off for the entire building based on outside temperature. With the installation of a networked energy management system, facility managers gained access to EcoCentral Virtual Engineer, which gives them the ability to view energy usage, remotely determine a room’s occupancy status, and change temperature settings with the click of a mouse.
“Now we have an intelligent system in place that maintains student’s preferred temperature when they’re in the room, yet within our own specified range,” Anderson said. “The centralized monitoring software helps maintenance staff react to problems, often before students know there’s an issue, saving everyone time and improving student comfort.”

Challenge 3: Meet Campus Sustainability Goals
Sustainability challenges at both the local and national level provided Leading New York University with tangible energy efficiency goals. In 2007, Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, launched the PlaNYC Climate Challenge, calling for a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per square foot by 2017. The same year, the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment set a long-term goal for institutions of higher education to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. The president of Leading New York University signed the commitment, promising to institute energy conservation and efficiency measures, as well as supply energy needs through cleaner on-site generation and renewable energy, promote behavioral changes, and plan for green building.
After committing to these two programs, Leading New York University released its own Climate Action Plan, a comprehensive review detailing the university’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory and introducing a range of projects and fiscally-sound strategies to reduce emissions. With such ambitious energy reduction goals in both the short and long term, Leading New York University chooses only projects that deliver cost-effective, tangible results.

Savings Results
Over a period of four years, New York University installed Telkonet’s energy management technology in 11 residence halls, encompassing 4,629 rooms. With a typical room occupied just 65% of the day, the university experiences an annual savings of 2,737,304 kWh and 5,066.2 Mlb.
As a direct result of the EcoSmart and SmartEnergy installations, Leading New York University saves $727,455 annually. Annual
savings achieved by individual residence halls can be represented as part of the campus-wide savings aggregate.

A Sustainable Solution: “Everybody Wins”
With Telkonet’s energy management technology, Leading New York University found a solution that reduces headaches for maintenance, increases student comfort, and reduces energy usage. “That’s what so great about the system,” said Anderson. “Everybody wins. The system is completely transparent to the students because with occupancy sensors, the adjustments are all automatic. Students benefit from gaining greater control with individual thermostats, maintenance staff has complete oversight of their building’s heating and cooling operations, and the university saves above and beyond on energy consumption.