The sustainability-inspired initiative delivers impressive energy savings and has been made permanent.
In August 2022, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) launched a pilot program to study the impact of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) setbacks on Fridays in the Saratoga Building. Aligning with UMB core values of sustainability, discovery, and innovation, the program tested the energy savings — and associated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions — by not running the HVAC systems on Fridays, a day selected for its low occupancy in the building. To this end, all Saratoga-based employees were encouraged to work from home on Fridays.
At the end of the first 12-month period, the building recorded a 7.91 percent reduction in power consumption. Based on this number, in addition to positive feedback from Saratoga-based employees, the pilot program was made permanent.
Since its inception, the program has accrued an impressive reduction in energy consumption. This includes a savings of 437515.79 kilowatt-hours/305 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. For reference, this is the equivalent of eliminating 505,100 miles of automobile travel, not burning 22,223 gallons of gasoline, or eliminating the combustion of 9,073 BBQ-size propane tanks.
“The Friday HVAC setback within Saratoga is in fact a complete shutdown of the three main air handlers on Friday,” said Matthew Hazel, building automation system manager. “During cold weather [below 45 degrees Fahrenheit], we have perimeter heat that energizes to keep the building safe from freezing conditions. This is the baseboard heat underneath everyone’s windows in the building along with the stairwell heaters.”
However, the Maryland Poison Center and other IT areas of the building have smaller supplemental heating and cooling systems that will not be turned off as part of the program. “Critical IT spaces and Poison Control have AC systems that continue to run to support their areas,” Hazel added.
Employees are free to enter and use the building as they normally would. All IT, electronic, sanitation, emergency lifesaving, and digital systems are unaffected by the program, and all maintenance jobs and requests are similarly unaffected. Likewise, there is zero impact on those who park in the Saratoga Garage. The only service that will be impacted is mail delivery, which is postponed until the next business day.
Those looking for additional details, a numerical breakdown of the savings, and/or information about the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge can find those details here.
STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE:
UMB is committed to innovation and discovery. By identifying existing patterns in how we work, we are adjusting our operations to capitalize on those patterns. Each building HVAC system uses a lot of electricity to heat and cool buildings each day. By turning off the HVAC system to save energy, we are able to help decrease UMB’s energy load on the BGE grid, which in turn allows for more electrical capacity for other Baltimore residents and businesses to operate. Reducing our electrical consumption also reduces the greenhouse gas emissions associated with that electricity.