Sustainability is one of the three core lenses that guide the work we do at Colorado College and managing our resources, including energy and water, is one of the key ways we contribute to this important goal.  In 2009 Colorado College made an institutional commitment to become a carbon neutral campus by 2020.  We eventually achieved this goal with a variety of campus initiatives, with energy management being key to achieving the required reduction in emissions. 

Energy management is important for many reasons; including carbon reduction, utility cost savings, and system and equipment maintenance savings.  Between 2008 and 2020, on-campus emissions were reduced by 75% by focusing on management of energy resources and increasing efficiency.  Energy projects undertaken during this time included:

-Water efficiency and savings

–LED lighting retrofits and controls upgrades

–Solar PV installations: ~500kW of PV on campus and investment in solar gardens and CSU Green Power program

–HVAC controls and central plant efficiency upgrades

–Equipment replacements: boilers, chillers, AC

–Building retrofits: non-traditional HVAC systems

We continue to track and benchmark energy for all buildings on campus and regularly review where savings and efficiency opportunities lie.  From this benchmarking and review we determine where to invest project money that will have the highest potential for life cycle savings and return on investment.