OU has set a $21 million budget to make campus buildings more eco-friendly.
OU entered into a $21 million guaranteed performance contract with Johnson Controls Inc. to make OU more energy efficient.
The upgrades might have a big price tag, but will save OU money in the long run by supplying reductions in energy emissions and operating costs, Amanda Hearn, OU Physical Plant spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.
To ensure energy effectiveness, Johnson Controls, Inc. tests energy emission levels before the upgrades and again after the upgrades are complete to verify OU’s savings.
OU’s annual energy reductions will be equal to more than 1,800 fewer cars in Norman, Hearn said.
Upgrades began in November with energy-efficient exit signs in most buildings and will be completed in two years.
What’s changing on campus
Exit Signs
Most electric powered exit signs across campus have been removed and replaced with photo luminescent exit signs. The signs glow in the dark because no electricity is used. This project started in November and was completed in February.
Exterior Lighting
The light bulbs previously used by OU contained 50 percent more wattage than the new, energy efficient bulbs. The change will not affect the design of the exterior lighting or reduce the outdoor lamp posts’ amount of light. The project began in February and is still in progress.
Indoor Lighting
The overhead fixtures’ power resistors, which push electricity into the light bulbs, are being replaced with more energy-effecient bulbs to reduce wattage use. The light bulbs also are being replaced with lower wattage bulbs. The project began in February and is still in progress.
Sensored Lights
Many offices and classrooms are receiving sensors to distinguish when electricity is needed. If a room is no longer in use, the lights will turn off automatically. The project began in February and is still in progress.
Vending Machines
Some buildings’ vending machines will receive motion detectors to eliminate constant lighting of the interior and exterior. When someone approaches the machine, it will turn on automatically instead of using electricity 24 hours a day. The vending machine upgrades are in progress.
Toilets
Low-water-flow toilets will be installed in select restrooms, which will reduce water use from about six gallons per minute to 1.6 gallons per minute. Many bathrooms also will receive new fixtures to reduce the total water output. Low water-flow toilets have yet to be installed.
Source: Amanda Hearn, OU Physical Plant spokeswoman. Photos by Amy Frost/The Daily
The Oklahoma Daily is pleased to provide you the opportunity to share your thoughts about this article. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or straying from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of OUDaily.com. Thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register
Gene 3 years, 2 months ago
Can I request the banishment of "Goes Green" and any derivation thereof from all future articles? For one thing, it's a played out cliche. For another, it's fundamentally misleading. The university is doing some good things, for sure, but it is not now "green" in a way that means we can stop thinking about how to further reduce our impact on the environment. Nor will it ever be, because sustainability is a continuing process. I realize I am being cranky, but the headline is lazy journalism of a kind that is all too common in coverage of environmental issues.