In March 2018, the University of Chicago released its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reduction Plan, which kicked off a massive effort to identify and implement GHG emissions reductions projects throughout campus. The target was to reduce campus carbon intensity by 20% by 2025 relative to the 2012–2014 baseline. As noted in the 2018 GHG Plan, “Since natural gas and electricity consumed in campus buildings contribute nearly 70% of the University’s greenhouse gas emissions, building efficiency is the primary focus of this emissions reduction plan.”

Since that time, the Facilities Services energy team, in coordination with various campus stakeholders such as building managers, maintenance engineers, building automation engineers, faculty, and students, performed detailed audits of twenty of the top energy-consuming buildings to identify energy conservation opportunities. Projects have been completed at libraries, laboratories, academic and office buildings, as well as at the campus central utility plants.

Project locations include (left to right) Regenstein Library, Gordon Center for Integrative Science, and Saieh Hall

The first project was completed in July 2018, and since then, an additional 115 energy and water conservation projects have been completed. The cumulative impact of these projects to date is a $2.1M reduction in campus utility expenses and a 13,700 MT eCO­₂ reduction in GHG emissions. The reduction in emissions is substantial; it is equivalent to eliminating the emissions of 32,000 barrels of oil or eliminating emissions of 1,580 homes for a year. In addition to energy and GHG emissions reductions, the energy program has also saved 3.4 million gallons of water through several water conservation projects. 

The energy management information system shows reductions in monthly and annual energy usage

In recognition of these achievements, UChicago recently received the 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in Energy Management. In fact, the UChicago energy management program has been successful enough that the original goal to reduce GHG emissions intensity by 20% by 2025 has been replaced with a more ambitious goal: a 50% reduction in absolute GHG emissions by 2030. Achieving this new target will require renewed focus and effort, but the UChicago students, staff, and faculty will continue doing their parts to combat climate change by engaging the campus community, embracing new technologies, challenging the status quo, and identifying opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce campus GHG emissions.