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FYI.
*********************************************************************** UC Pioneers Conservation Two decades of innovations prepared campuses for energy price crunch When the state's energy crisis hit, the University of California was not caught with its fans running full blast. Across the nine-campus UC system, $65 million has been spent over two decades on energy-saving devices, including new lighting, variable speed fans, even a system to harness waste gas from landfills to run boilers. So, with Gov. Gray Davis calling for every California household and business to cut electricity use by 10 percent, UC offers a good model of conservation. Despite rapid growth in the 178,000-student system in recent years, most campuses have held electricity consumption steady, and the university will net about $75 million in savings from the projects. "We are fortunate to have on the campuses people with the religion. They have been working on this agenda since the oil embargo," said Gary Matteson, UC director of energy and utilities planning. But UC will need to do more. Facing a 146 percent increase in the cost of natural gas -- which powers the co-generators that produce electricity -- the university is now asking the state for $217 million to fund additional conservation efforts. That way, UC could offset the increase in natural gas prices. As a state institution, UC has to reduce its electricity consumption by 8 percent of its base load -- which is 334 megawatts at peak -- and by 20 percent during Stage 2 alerts, when state electricity reserves fall below 5 percent. UC has already exceeded the 8 percent reduction and Matteson said he expects the system to be ready to meet the 20 percent goal by June 1, before the summer peak hits. Like little cities, the campuses run around the clock, but laboratory lights that used to blaze continuously are now going dark when not needed, those in hallways have been dimmed or shut off when possible and the thermostats have been lowered. "I almost stumble through some of the hallways, it is so dark," said Keith Roberts, energy engineer at UC Davis. "There are a lot of people who really want to help out. We are trying to do what we can without impacting the mission of the campus." At many campuses, daily e-mail alerts remind students, as well as employees, to open their window shades to light and warm their rooms and offices during the day, and to shut off computers and lights when they are not in use. At UC Berkeley, freshman Jon Clingan, 18, said signs have been posted in the hallways and bathrooms of the residence halls, imploring students to save electricity in their rooms and even to cut short their showers. "I try to keep my light off as long as possible until it is just not possible to do work," Clingan said. In addition to conserving energy, UC protected itself against skyrocketing electricity prices by signing a four-year contract in 1998 -- along with the California State University system -- with Enron Corp to buy electricity at the 1996 rate minus 5 percent. In 1986, systemwide co-generation plants were installed to produce sufficient energy for most university buildings and to pump an additional 20 megawatts into the state's electricity grid. That approach saved most of the UC campuses from falling victim during the state's rolling blackouts -- although UC Santa Cruz went dark one day in January because its co-generation plant was out. MARKET PRICES AHEAD Still, UC officials are asking the Legislature for extra money, warning that a systemwide natural gas bill is expected to rocket from $26 million last year to a projected $64 million this year. A contract for low-priced gas is expiring and UC will soon find itself paying market prices. That means UC will face having to raise dormitory fees, cut back on night and weekend classes and turn down the air conditioners in the summer, leaving classrooms sweltering. Saying that that would be unacceptable, Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist, D- Santa Clara, chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, called a hearing on the issue last month. "I really wanted to hear how they were going to cope with the crisis," she said. UC is already negotiating with the State Department of Finance to get about $217 million for an additional list of energy efficiency and conservation projects that could save 149 megawatts within three years. Reducing electricity means reducing reliance on natural gas. John Baca, manager of the policy and strategic planning program for the Office of Energy Assessments at the state Department of General Services, said higher education facilities tend to consume a lot of energy. "They have experiments that just can't go off and they have a lot of flue hoods, and things like that," Baca said. "They have to have power for a lot of different things all the time, so there is still a lot of potential at the higher education level. But I think UC has done a really fantastic job." SYSTEMWIDE CHANGES The efforts have been made across the system. UC Santa Cruz undertook an extensive conservation project that reduced electricity consumption in academic and administrative buildings by 6 percent. UC Davis has spent about $15 million on conservation renovations during the past 10 years, saving at least $3 million a year. At UC Berkeley, more than $6 million has been spent since 1986 to improve energy efficiency on the campus by modifying and reducing light fixtures in older buildings, installing centrally located automated controls that can run heating and cooling equipment on a flexible schedule, and improving efficiency around heating pipes. "Our usage is only 3 percent above what it was in 1972-73," said Paul Black, a senior engineer in the UC Berkeley physical plant department. "And if you think of all the computers added and also the air conditioners we have added to cool computer rooms and labs, that is good." E-mail Tanya Schevitz at tschevitz@sfchronicle.com. ,2001 San Francisco Chronicle Page A - 3
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