North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University – LaKausha Simpson – 2011

LaKausha Simpson and Jonathan Wilson spent their summers as EDF Climate Corps fellows at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T) in Greensboro, North Carolina. NCA&T created a strategic energy plan calling for a 30% reduction in energy consumption per square foot by 2015 and implemented many of the “quick win” energy efficiency upgrades. With this in mind, Simpson and Wilson set off to find hidden energy savings to reduce the university’s operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

First, the fellows calculated baseline energy consumption through analysis of energy bills and surveys of operations in campus buildings and residence halls. Simpson and Wilson developed 17 projects related to physical building upgrades, adjusting standard operating procedures, and energy conservation awareness programs and training. They emphasized increasing “Aggie” pride in saving energy through small changes in habit, such as consolidating office appliances and adjusting thermostats by a few degrees.

In total, if Simpson’s and Wilson’s projects are implemented, NCA&T could save over $580,000 in annual energy costs, reduce electricity use by 10 million kWh per year, and cut carbon emissions by 5,540 metric tons annually.