2009.02.20
Virginia Tech looking for energy savings amidst budget cuts
At an open "town hall" meeting held by Virginia Tech earlier this week, an audience member asked what place energy savings will have in the university's attempts to trim its budget. While Tech has already addressed some issues about energy efficiency there remain plenty of opportunities for energy savings the university has yet to take advantage of.
Sherwood Wilson, Tech's vice president for administrative services, said the university is in the early stages of a comprehensive energy initiative on campus. It's sent out RFP's for ESCOs, he said Thursday.
In non-acronymese that means the university is looking to hire an energy-service company. The basic goal of these companies is to coordinate and implement energy-savings strategies for businesses, localities or universities. They then get paid based on the savings their clients receive as a result of their work.
On a related note, the university's "Environmental Commitment and Sustainability Plan" is about to land on the desk of Tech President Charles Steger. It's a lengthy document specific to Tech outlining policies and an overall philosophy on sustainability. Steger is expected to sign it, unlike the Presidents Climate Commitment. Tech students made several attempts to get Steger to sign the document but Wilson said that, with its goal of climate neutrality, it wasn't a good fit for Tech.
Wilson admitted on Thursday that Tech is probably "a decade behind the curve" on sustainability issues. But he's excited at the prospect of the ESCO.
"Demand is so great from students and faculty to address sustainability issues," he said. "What the ESCO will do is bring all of those little pieces together."
- Greg Esposito
