Distributed Energy Resources, Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Solar  -  December 16, 2024

Northern Illinois University Partners to Lower Energy Consumption

Northern Illinois University entered a partnership to reduce energy consumption on the campus by over 26% and reduce carbon emissions by 11%.

The university will collaborate with Trane® – by Trane Technologies, a global climate company, to develop and implement a comprehensive energy-saving and carbon-emissions-reduction program on campus.

In October, the NIU Board of Trustees gave its approval for the university to proceed with plans to finance the $56 million initiative through the sale of certificates of participation (COPs). Following successful financing, the contract is being finalized, according to an NIU Board of Trustees update.

Campus upgrades will be funded through a combination of federal, state, utility, energy and operational savings. By leveraging Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), this approach will enable substantial progress toward improving facilities while reducing NIU’s carbon footprint and result in overall budget savings for the university.

“By collaborating with Trane, the university can tap the expertise of this large company and develop a strategy for facility improvements which can be funded with the projected energy savings, without tapping into our existing capital budgets,” said John Heckmann, associate vice president of Facilities Management and Campus Services, in a statement.

Projects for the comprehensive energy-savings program will be conducted over the next two years and include the following components: LED lighting, water conservation measures, building weatherization improvements, solar photovoltaic installations at multiple locations, EV charging stations, thermal energy storage for cooling, high-efficiency heating and cooling system upgrades and HVAC building controls.

The impact of the energy-saving and carbon-emissions-reduction program will be campus wide, with about 50 buildings receiving energy, water and/or lighting-efficiency upgrades and improvements to building automation systems, such as control over temperature regulation.

Solar panels with a total capacity of 3.2 MW will be installed on the rooftops of DuSable Hall, the Stevens Building and the Chessick Practice Center, as well as over the Visitor Parking lot and on the ground near the Convocation Center. Additionally, three dual-port EV charging stations will be placed under the solar carport in the visitor lot, and thermal ice storage tanks will be installed outside the East Chiller Plant, Convocation Center and Barsema Hall.

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