Sustainability Update: Energy Saved from Black Bldg BMS

During 2011 Columbia University Medical Center installed a Building Management System within the William Black Building. This new computer-based control system monitors and optimizes the building’s mechanical and electric equipment, such as air conditioning, chiller operation, heating or hot water. During the installation digital sensors were placed throughout the systems to take temperatures and pressures in order to ensure services supplied to the building were efficient and comfortable for tenants.

Once installed, the William Black Building entered a period of measurement and verification where the energy savings associated with the project were verified. Installation of this system found opportunities for system improvement within our electric system, but also, in the steam system.

Overall, the building reduced its consumption from 2011 to 2012 by 25,500 mmbtu, one and a half times the projected savings at the start of the project. This works out to a 17% reduction in consumption on electric and steam systems in the Black Building and 2,280 metric tons of greenhouse gases.

The reduction by 2,280 metric tons of greenhouse gases is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 431 passenger vehicles.

Please direct questions and/or comments to cumc-energy@columbia.edu.