Rick Storlie Director of Administrative Services Facilities Management University of Nevada Las Vegas discusses his campus's energy and water efficiency initiatives.
Rick Storlie
Director of Administrative Services Facilities Management
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Rick, I understand your campus has reduced energy and water consumption through a number of measures. Can you provide us with a brief summary of these initiatives?
Understand what we are consuming in each utility and at each building.
Control consumption when possible by modifying (HVAC) operating schedules.
Identify utility savings investments with a payback of less than eight years.
Ensure that new facilities and capital renewal projects invest in utility savings. Provide direction to design professionals with detailed design specifications.
When did your facility begin implementing water-saving measures?
Around 2000 the university did a benchmark of consumption and at that point the low hanging fruit so to speak was identified as energy conservation and water reduction.
How did your department monitor water use in restrooms to better determine the types of products to specify for your facility?
Fixtures and initiatives were evaluated by facilities shop personnel for applicability and usability in our operations.
We set up test situations with a product before fully committing to campus wide implementation.
By what percent has your facility reduced usage by establishing those water-conservation initiatives?
Right at 40 percent of our consumption. The biggest reduction was through irrigation, removing turf in areas and replacing it with xeriscaping, going to low-flow bathroom fixtures, and modifying chilling times.
What measures are generating most of those savings?
Turf reductions, reducing outside irrigation.
What has been your department's role in implementing these water-saving measures?
Our grounds department locates the best areas for turf reduction,
designs the new landscape,
arranges for any utility grants or financial assistance, and does the demolition, construction, irrigation, and planting.
energy savings, water efficiency, university of Nevada Las Vegas sustainability, green initiatives
posted: 4/3/2012
