Energy+Audit+for+Rubenstein+Ecosystem+Science+Lab+2014

=Energy Audit for Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Lab 2014 =

Video Draft 1 [|Youtube Video]

Energy Audit Data Spreadsheet

Rubenstein Newsletter Article:



Rubenstein Lab Floor Plan: 3/26/2014 Energy Audit



__ **Story Outline for Video** __

Rubinstein lab VIDEO
 * 3-4 min. Outline**

Into of building (Panning shot of rub)

Intro to energy problem (Show stats)

Energy audit process (Clips of looking at bulbs, clips of doing plug load, interview of auditors? Explain Sensors, occupancy sensors)

Audit Results (Show stats)

Improvements (Clips of us fixing building)

Conclusion (Hopes for future)
 * clips of building and surrounding environment (Lake Champlain)
 * intro: importance of energy conservation, background/history of building
 * video clips/images from Energy audit, mock Energy audit video?
 * Potential interviews with: Gary Hawley, energy auditor
 * Highlight problem areas
 * Graphs & Data displays
 * Highlight our work thus far and suggestions
 * Highlight any changes actually made, benefits of changes

Potential Interview Questions for Video:
 * Why do you feel energy audits are important?
 * Did you have any expectations observing the Rubenstein lab?
 * What are your personal small scale improvement suggestions? larger scale/expensive?

__Rubinstein Lab Tour Observations, February 12th 2013 __
Successful Energy Elements Areas of Concern Ideas for Improvement >
 * LEED certified
 * New building (2002) Should still have a tight building envelope
 * Thermostats in every room
 * Ample natural light
 * Reverse osmosis water filter (more energy efficient than boiling water to filter it for lab use)
 * Water filter never stops running
 * Exhaust Hoods are removing conditioned air because they are continuously running in labs.
 * Walk-in cooler and freezer are running constantly. They do not have variable speed fans.
 * The stairs wells are very hot and lights are always on. This suggesting there could be other areas where very simple things can greatly improve energy use.
 * Lights are on in hallways when natural light is sufficient.
 * There is a room above the lab that seems under utilized. It has a grate floor for expansion but it is currently not being used.
 * Occupancy detectors in all or some rooms. (CO2 detectors that can sense CO2 levels associated with having people in a space. They can automatically adjust the light and heat of a room between “occupied” and “unoccupied” settings)
 * Energy recovery systems for the Hoods.
 * Make energy “Hogs” more efficient. (Freezer, water filter)
 * Create a fund that will be available to the users of the lab so they can make their experiments more energy efficient.

Below: Average Use of Rubenstein Lab utilities compared to other lab buildings. It is clear that Rubenstein uses much more electricity than it should. It is difficult to compare Natural Gas because I believe both Cook, and Jeffords are heated with Central Heating and Cooling. __**Rubenstein Electric & Energy Usage**__ Trend: increasing gradually. Highest numbers are in 2014
 * Building || Utility || Use || Use/ Sq. Ft. ||
 * Rubenstein Lab || Electric (KWH) || 86500.42 || 5.96 ||
 * Jeffords || Electric (KWH) || 199268.26 || 1.91 ||
 * Cook Physical Science || Electric (KWH) || 196546.96 || 1.67 ||
 * Rubenstein Lab || Natural Gas (CCF) || 1836.34 || 0.126583015 ||
 * Rubenstein Lab || Water/Sewer (CF) || 6766.99 || N/A ||



__April Averages For 2011-2013__
-Electricity- 62,720.00 -Natural Gas- 1975.33 -Water/Sewer- 5,000

__Schooldude Units __
Electric - KWH (Kilowatt hours) Water/Sewer - CF (cubic feet) Natural Gas - CCF (centum cubic feet) 1 CCF=100 CF = =

Goals:

 * Collect Background info on Rubenstein Lab. **By February 5th**
 * Energy/Water Usage from SchoolDude.
 * Determine if ECHO is sharing energy.
 * Organize data into graphs
 * Learn about and perform an energy audit with professionals. **TBD**
 * Determine possible improvements, how much they cost, and how much they could save. **By Feb 26th**
 * Identify Low hanging fruit
 * Identify improvement that would have the most benefit
 * Implement as many improvements as possible **By March 26th**
 * Analyze savings **By April 30th**
 * Create video presentation to summarize what we have done. **By April 30th**