On behalf of The University of Chicago, Adam D’Ambrosio, Brian Bozell, and Alfredo Izguerra accepted the 2019 Excellence in Engineering Award for the Searle Chemistry Laboratory Preventative Maintenance and Commissioning project. The award was presented by the ASHRAE Illinois Chapter on December 10 at the Willis Tower in Chicago. Annually, an ASHRAE panel of judges consisting of working HVAC professionals selects outstanding submissions that are recognized for their excellence at the chapter's annual holiday party.
The University of Chicago implemented several facility improvement measures and 13 energy conservation measures. Of note, the Shut the Sash program initiated at no-cost included sharing sash position data with users quarterly and yielded a 6.5% decrease in energy consumption. At the time of the award submission, implementation of the energy conservation measures was still underway; however preliminary results show a 16% reduction of annual energy usage.
The University of Chicago is a proud ENERGY STAR Partner, working with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and our peer institutions to find ways to reduce higher education campus energy usage. The Searle Chemistry Laboratory has achieved a 16% energy use reduction to date through the University’s Preventative Maintenance and Commissioning program, a cornerstone of the University’s Energy Management Action Plan. The University’s strategy to minimize energy consumption through the implementation of preventative maintenance and commissioning in existing buildings ensures that buildings are operating efficiently and minimizes their greenhouse gas emissions.