College Planning & Management

FEB 2013

College Planning & Management is the information resource for professionals serving the college and university market. Covering facilities, security, technology and business.

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"A well-automated building cuts down on maintenance hours and costs." — Lawrence Bacher Automated Logic's Harris continues, "For instance, five years ago utilities were offering great incentives to change out lighting, so everyone jumped on the opportunity. But they still had an inefficient monster of a boiler in the basement. If you completed both projects together you could have cut the return time for the boiler." Done this way, the payback for long-term projects like windows, insulation, or roofs shrink. "Institutions tolerate payback times around eight to 15 years, but in practice they want it sooner," says DeNamur. "Sure, they are more structured and patient than a commercial client who would demand a payback in one to three years, but education still looks at three to five years as the 'sweet spot.'" Individual items also need careful consideration. "Adding daylighting to a building reduces electrical load right away, and if you fi lter out the UV and infrared heat it will lower HVAC costs as well," says Dr. Neall Digert, MIES, vice president of product enterprise, Solatube. "If you have a simple system with a typical application, for instance if you are trying to daylight a gym, then you can certainly see a simple payback for this technology in five years. But the more complicated the project, like bringing daylight through multiple floors using expansive duct work, will bring the costs, and the payback time, up." "Some of what drives the motivation for energy efficiency on campus is the 'PR factor,'" continues DeNamur. "A solar array on a roof is more attractive than some of the behind-the-walls stuff or working through a list of deferred maintenance projects. It makes for a more exciting press release." Schools also need to look for paybacks in places other than the utility bills. "A well-automated building cuts down on maintenance hours and costs," says Lawrence Bacher, vice president, Gilbane Building Company. (Gilbane worked on the Joliet Junior College projects.) "Having a campus infrastructure that you can monitor and control from one central point costs you something in computing power, but it beats the alternative: an army of mechanics to set and adjust individual buildings. I can't tell you the exact amount saved or the payback time for that, but efficiently running a complex plant with less staff makes sense." CPM fabric structures ing or growing, Whether playing, train vered. ClearSpan keeps you co Increase Comfort ◆ Keep Fumes Out ◆ Save Energy ◆ Control Insects ◆ Sustainable Design-Build Solutions Low in cost per square foot. Natural daytime lighting. Easy to relocate. Expandable. Call one of our ClearSpan specialists today at 1.866.643.1010 or visit www.ClearSpan.com/ADCPM. FEBRUARY 2013 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 25

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