UW System upgrades seek energy savings

From an article by Jason Stein in the Wisconsin State Journal:

When night falls on the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Chamberlin Hall, administrators can't save energy by turning off the air units that heat, cool and ventilate the building — they're afraid the aging units might not reliably switch back on in the morning.

But a project now in planning will replace those units with more efficient models that will help cut energy use in the physics department hall by an estimated 67 percent — saving a projected $900,000 a year in a single building.

In the face of tight budgets and rising energy costs, the state is spending borrowed money now to seek long-term savings on gas and electricity used by its vast system of buildings around Wisconsin.

For three years, the state has been working toward a target set by Gov. Jim Doyle to use 10 percent less energy per square foot in major state buildings. That effort has saved roughly $23 million over two years, state officials said.