DNR higher education energy efficiency program nears implementation

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary Scott Angelle has announced that DNR is preparing to implement the $25.7 million “Lead By Example” program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and dedicated by DNR to energy efficiency retrofits of state higher education buildings.

The U.S. Department of Energy last year awarded DNR a $71 million federal allocation to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in the Louisiana’s State Energy Plan (SEP).

DNR set aside $25.7 million of that for the “Lead By Example” energy efficiency program to provide funding for conserving energy through retrofitting state buildings, and Angelle directed  the funding to be targeted to state higher education facilities.

“This program will mean cost savings in the long run for our higher education facilities, benefits us all by cutting government spending,” Angelle said. “It means more of our higher education dollars are spent on the core mission of teaching and research instead of installation and maintenance of equipment in the near term and utility bills in the longer term.”

Angelle said that higher education is uniquely positioned to fulfill the “Lead By Example” concept.

“We look to higher education for innovation, for new ideas and best practices. These facilities are well positioned to set examples of energy efficiency that can be followed by both the public and private sectors,” Angelle said.

Dr. Sally Clausen, Louisiana’s Commissioner of Higher Education, said Louisiana’s higher education campuses were eager to participate in the program and ready to make good use of the funding on energy efficiency efforts around the state.

“We appreciate Secretary Angelle’s investment in cost saving activities on our campuses. The savings we will realize both on the upfront cost of maintenance and upgrades to our buildings and in lower energy costs in the future will be a win-win for students and taxpayers,” Clausen said.

DNR’s Energy Office and the state Board of Regents have worked together to develop specific projects, and final agreements are near final approval.  Some highlights of projects are listed below:

• LSU – (Baton Rouge campus) -  Projects include boiler maintenance, steam trap survey and repair, underground steam insulation, retrofit of indoor and outdoor campus lighting, Lab School chiller, football operations, building retro-commissioning
• LSU Law Center – Building system repair and retrofit
• LSU Ag Center – HVAC and mechanical renovations
• LSU Alexandria – HVAC controls for several buildings
• LSU Eunice – Library lighting retrofit
• LSU Shreveport – Lighting retrofit
• LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans – Dental school air handler and lighting retrofit
• Pennington Biomedical Research Center – Lighting upgrades
• LSU Health Sciences Center – Shreveport – Air handler, boiler and chiller upgrades, chiller re-insulation
• University of New Orleans – Improvements to central utility plant
• Southern University (Baton Rouge) – Indoor and outdoor solar lighting
• Southern University New Orleans – Windows, air handler, light replacement
• Southern University Shreveport/Bossier – Chiller plant repair and renewal
• Louisiana Tech University – Replace chillers, boilers, pumps, controls
• McNeese State University – Lighting project and cooling tower and controls upgrade
• Nicholls State University – Window and door replacements
• Northwestern State University – Chillers, boiler, HVAC replacement and outdoor lighting refit
• Southeastern Louisiana University – HVAC replacements
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette – Lighting retrofits
• University of Louisiana at Monroe – Building automation project and lighting project
• Louisiana Community and Technical College System – Lighting retrofits
• Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium – Lighting retrofit