Stanford University's Whole Building Energy Retrofit Program: Priorities, Process, and Progress
Susan Vargas, Stanford University
Leslie Kramer, P.E., Stanford University
"Twelve buildings on the Stanford University campus account for more than one-third of the total campus electricity consumption." That simple statement in 2004 led to a comprehensive study of those "dirty dozen" (including eight laboratories, a data center, and a nanofabrication facility) that identified the potential for a 28 percent reduction in energy costs with a return on investment of roughly 20 percent. Stanford's provost (recognizing a good investment opportunity) set aside an initial $15 million to implement the proposed projects. Since that time, the Whole Buildings Energy Retrofit Program has completed comprehensive projects in 10 buildings, with total annual savings of $3 million and a discounted payback period of roughly four years. During this presentation, the speakers will describe the methods used to prioritize buildings, the collaborative process that has evolved to complete design-build projects successfully in an academic environment, and report progress that has been made toward reducing the university's operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions from its 15 million square feet (and growing) of existing building stock.
Biographies:
Susan Vargas is the manager of facilities energy efficiency at Stanford University, with responsibility for improving the energy performance of the institution's 15 million square feet of existing buildings. To this end, she administers the Energy Conservation Incentive Program to motivate conserving habits and purchasing decisions and oversees both a $1.5 million annual program and a $30 million capital program to identify, coordinate, and fund retrofit projects that will enhance energy efficiency. Prior to her return to Stanford, Ms. Vargas was a senior project manager at Energy Solutions in Oakland, California, where she worked with clients such as the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the City of Oakland, and the California Board for Energy Efficiency. Ms. Vargas has a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford and a Masters of Science from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley.
Leslie Kramer focuses on improving the energy efficiency of the largest energy-consuming buildings on the Stanford University campus through comprehensive retrofits. She works with a variety of stakeholders to identify and implement projects that save energy and money while maintaining or improving overall building performance. Prior to joining Stanford University, Ms. Kramer was a vice president at HDR Engineering, Inc. (formerly Brown, Vence and Associates, Inc.), where she managed the energy efficiency practice and worked as an energy engineer on projects ranging from energy auditing and onsite renewable energy to utility demand-side program management. Ms. Kramer is a certified energy manager and has a Masters of Arts in energy and resources and a Bachelor of Arts in engineering.