Energy Exchange

By: Jennifer Morales-Muñoz, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at the University of Texas at Brownsville; MPPM candidate at the University of Texas at Brownsville

As a resident of the Rio Grande Valley in the deep south of Texas, I understand that unification is vital for addressing environmental issues in the region. At every green conference I attend, the message is the same: what happens in Brownsville, Texas, affects the neighboring towns: McAllen, San Benito, and Harlingen. Every environmental win or loss has a domino effect in Texas, for good or bad. Moreover, what happens around the Valley affects my EDF Climate Corps Public Sector site, The University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB), and vice versa.

During my time at UTB this summer, I learned that the university is great at developing and fueling community movements. This can be attributed to its supportive staff and enthusiastic students, who are on board with my energy efficiency recommendations, which include:

• Occupancy sensors in hallways, lobbies, and restrooms
• Window and skylight replacements
• De-lamping vending machines

My ultimate goal was for the community at the university to realize that efforts to improve environmental conditions in the Valley must be shared since we are interconnected. Just as pollution crosses municipal, state, and national boundaries, positive actions and movements to reduce greenhouse gas pollution also flows through these invisible lines.

With unification on my mind, I helped the university’s Sustainability Council develop an outreach event to promote sustainable stakeholders’ practices from around the Valley. The council invited staff from neighboring universities who practice and teach sustainable behaviors. In the past, the council held awareness events promoting energy efficiency, community gardens, recycling, farmer’s markets, and ecotourism. They have also created a Sustainability Trail with signs identifying local wildlife and plants around campus to promote awareness and ecotourism. Also in the works are exciting projects including:

• Bringing renewable energy to Brownsville’s campus by installing wind turbines
• Developing a campus community garden

UTB’s Sustainability Council has been able to do a lot in a short period of time because of the support and cooperation of the administration and key staff. I believe UTB is proving to the Valley that unification is essential in developing strategic plans to address environmental issues of concern—just as discussed at our regional environmental conferences.

EDF Climate Corps Public Sector (CCPS) trains graduate students to identify energy efficiency savings in colleges, universities, local governments and houses of worship. The program focuses on partnerships with minority serving institutions and diverse communities. Apply as a CCPS fellow, read our blog posts and follow us on Twitter to get regular updates about this program.

By: Mohammad Sayemuzzaman, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Elizabeth City, NC; PhD candidate at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

As an EDF Climate Corps Public Sector fellow at Elizabeth City in North Carolina, I spent five weeks finding ways to reduce energy waste at the city’s waste water treatment plant, which serves 20,000 people. I asked myself, “Why do we spend so much money to process waste? And can we cut energy usage while meeting state and federal regulations for waste treatment?”

As the first and only EDF fellow at a waste water treatment plant, I had to lay the groundwork for future fellows: Read and understand the federal regulations, gather plant design blueprints, make a list of the special equipment, and determine the baseline energy usage. I interviewed the director of the Public Works department, the plant manager, the head of operations, and the energy officer. I learned that the plant’s motors and pumps are the most energy intensive parts, adding up to 85-95% of total electricity usage. I identified two giant motors and six pumps that run 24/7, which make up 60-70% of total energy usage. I found cost and energy savings by finding ways to make these motors and pumps run more efficiently and having a few go offline when they’re not needed.

In addition to the plant, I also investigated Elizabeth City’s Parks and Recreations Center and the Senior Center, built in 1976 and 1991. Since the centers were built, there haven’t been any upgrades on lighting, insulation, or HVAC. These facilities are very popular with the city’s residents and provide social outlets for teenagers and senior citizens. There are basketball games every two weeks in the Recreation Center’s 12,000 square feet gymnasium. My challenge involved planning the installation of an energy efficient HVAC system at the gym, while making sure people stayed comfortable. As for the lighting, the high bay lights in the gym had the biggest potential for energy and cost reduction. Both centers also can benefit from entire upgrades to energy efficient lighting.

With the training from EDF, support from Elizabeth City’s staff, and help from an amazing EDF Climate Corps Public Sector staff, I found many ways to cut greenhouse gas pollution, trim electricity bills, and pave the way for energy efficiency at a waste water treatment plant. I’m looking forward to finding more savings for Elizabeth City.

EDF Climate Corps Public Sector (CCPS) trains graduate students to identify energy efficiency savings in colleges, universities, local governments and houses of worship. The program focuses on partnerships with minority serving institutions and diverse communities. Apply as a CCPS fellow, read our blog posts and follow us on Twitter to get regular updates about this program.

By: Koko Iyoho, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Trinity Episcopal Church in Asheville, North Carolina; MGIM graduate from North Carolina State University

My EDF Climate Corps Public Sector fellowship took me to Trinity Episcopal Church in Asheville, North Carolina. Listed in the National Register of Historical Places, Trinity is a 100-year-old structure that has 30,000 square feet. Trinity has three floors with two stained-glass enclosed sanctuaries, which illustrate the stories of the early church. Achieving energy savings without compromising the integrity of historical buildings poses quite a challenge. However, before my arrival, the church already took commendable energy efficiency initiatives: replacing 70% of T12 fluorescents with T8s, installing Energy Star office equipment, and upgrading its HVAC system. I found a lot of energy savings, but my most exciting finding took me to an unexpected place – “The Catacombs.”

My search for energy efficiency had begun with the basic areas of lighting and temperature settings. I found savings by installing lower wattage bulbs, replacing incandescent lights with fluorescents, switching to LED exit signs, and using temperature controls and setbacks. These retrofits showed significant energy and cost savings, but my financial analysis showed room for improvement. One clue was the basement floor, which has an uninterrupted cold air supply. The mystery was that Trinity’s basement had exceptionally high humidity levels despite the use of several dehumidifiers. To solve this puzzle, I put on my detective goggles and joined a weatherization expert to investigate the source of the high humidity. Our quest led us to “The Catacombs.”

The basement is referred to as The Catacombs because of its likeness to ancient underground cemeteries, but thankfully, without burial chambers. It is an underground area consisting of a network of tunnels, pipes, and ducts, but also of several mounds of bare earth. Basements are naturally prone to high levels of humidity because of moisture seeping from the earth outside the walls and floors. In this case, mounds of earth are piled up inside a significant portion of the basement, contributing to higher than normal humidity levels. We had solved the mystery. Also, according to the weatherization specialist, if the bare earth is encapsulated with a vapor barrier, along with other weatherization opportunities we identified, there is potential to save the church about 15% in heating and cooling costs with a 9-year payback. What great energy savings!

With this finding, The Catacombs would no longer contribute to rising energy consumption at Trinity… not unless actual ghosts moved in.

EDF Climate Corps Public Sector (CCPS) trains graduate students to identify energy efficiency savings in colleges, universities, local governments and houses of worship. The program focuses on partnerships with minority serving institutions and diverse communities. Apply as a CCPS fellow, read our blog posts and follow us on Twitter to get regular updates about this program.

By: Sam Sink, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Groce United Methodist Church in Asheville, NC; M.S. Technology candidate at Appalachian State University

As an EDF Climate Corps Public Sector fellow at Groce United Methodist Church in Asheville, North Carolina, I have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the community. Because churches have historically been places where people share ideas and learn about emerging world trends, it is fitting that I am at Groce sharing ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

I began with a traditional energy assessment of the church’s electrical systems and building usage to establish a baseline for energy consumption. So far, I have identified energy cost savings that could reduce the current electrical consumption by 25%. This amounts to 30,000 kWh saved and 20 tons of carbon dioxide reduced. Groce and I are pleased with these savings, but I had to come up with creative ideas to raise the bar and save more energy.

Inspiration came to me one hot day in June… Solar energy!

I have a background in renewable energy generation, which helped me analyze options for solar panels to curb energy consumption. I identified a section of roof at Groce that had perfect southern exposure and conducted a site assessment that yielded impressive results.

The roof site I identified has the potential to carry a 20kW photovoltaic array, which will reduce Groce’s energy requirements from the grid by an additional 19% and eliminate another 16 tons of carbon dioxide. The solar panel payback period is 5 years, and it has the potential to offset carbon pollution from coal fired power plants for 30 years.

The greatest benefit from the photovoltaic array is not the savings or the reduced carbon load, but the educational awareness. By exposing the children of the community at Groce and Asheville to renewable energy technology, and providing a sense of pride and ownership of the solar panels, we are fostering conversations about energy in the years to come. The installation of solar panels at Groce will spread the message that energy savings strategies are more than traditional lighting retrofits and programmable thermostats. I look forward to hearing buzz from the congregation and community about how cool it is that Groce is leading the way to a green future.

EDF Climate Corps Public Sector (CCPS) trains graduate students to identify energy efficiency savings in colleges, universities, local governments and houses of worship.  The program focuses on partnerships with minority serving institutions and diverse communities.  Apply as a CCPS fellow, read our blog posts and follow us on Twitter to get regular updates about this program.