San Diego State University Imperial Valley – Whitney Ketchum – 2012

Goals

Whitney Ketchum identified and analyzed energy efficiency opportunities at San Diego State University – Imperial Valley in Calexico, Calif., a 1,000-student campus less than half a mile from the U.S.-Mexico border. Ketchum focused on energy efficiency projects at historic campus landmarks.

Solutions

Ketchum identified four efficiency opportunities: replacing the chiller system (a crucial piece of equipment in the 100+ degree climate), retrofitting the exterior lighting with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), installing occupancy sensors in classrooms, and using PC power management software.

Potential Impact

 If implemented, these projects could save the campus more than $800,000 in operating costs over their lifetimes, over 40 percent of campus electricity usage – about 580,000 kilowatt hours annually – and 300 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.