Unlock the Funds and Build the Team to Retrofit, Save Energy, and Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Laboratory
Matthew Gudorf, LEED AP®, University of California, Irvine
The University of California (UC), Irvine, is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to year 2000 levels by 2014 and 1990 levels by 2020, at the same time adding more than 2 million square feet of laboratory space. The economic situation in California has hit the UC system with devastating budget cuts. At the same time, UC Irvine has piloted and implemented a strategic energy program and launched its Smart Labs program with great success. This was accomplished by unlocking the power of UC Irvine's purchased utility budget. Every institution, public or private, has funds dedicated to paying utilities. Those same funds can be used to cover the cost of the energy retrofits, reduce the laboratory carbon footprint, and train technical staff to keep the laboratory functioning properly. The discussion will include return on investment metrics and case studies of laboratory renovations.
UC Irvine has completed $29.4 million in laboratory renovations in the past four years, and has received $6.8 million in incentive funding from the investor owned utilities. The bond payment of $2.3 million per year comes from the purchased utility budget, which realized a savings of $3.1 million annually. The speaker will present how these projects were identified, the contracting methods selected, and demonstrate that successful renovations can take place in occupied laboratories.
The effective implementation of an energy and sustainability program in any organization on a broad scale is not possible without a comprehensive approach and participation from throughout the institution. The speaker will share how the team approach joined faculty, students, the Office of Information Technology, Environmental Health and Safety, and Facilities Management in a partnership to deliver projects. The speaker will present how the stakeholders were identified, the approach used to get their responsiveness, and the evolution of our structure and methods currently in use.
Matthew Gudorf is the campus energy manager at UC Irvine, and a LEED AP with 10 years of infrastructure project management experience. A graduate of The Ohio State University in electrical engineering with an emphasis on high voltage systems, Mr. Gudorf has worked for Dayton Power and Light in transmission and distribution, American Electric Power as a member of the ultra high voltage substation design team and Southern California Pipeline managing multiple wet utility projects throughout Southern California. Mr. Gudorf has focused his efforts at UC Irvine on energy efficiency upgrades, utility and infrastructure retrofits, and project development. He is the leader of UC Irvine's Energy Team and responsible for the budget, scope, and success of the university's strategic energy program.