After nearly four years and 67 buildings, the Planet Blue building program is producing results that even the most optimistic person could not have predicted.
Launched in 2008, the program had a goal of reducing energy consumption by 5 percent. Recently released data covering CY 2010 shows a reduction of 14 percent and an annual utility cost avoidance of $5.2 million. With some buildings just starting to show the results from the engineering changes made to them, the belief is the numbers will only go up over time.
“We’re seeing significant improvements in many of the buildings that were worked on two and three years ago,” said Kris Kolevar, project manager for the Planet Blue Operations Team. “As time progresses, more and more savings are being derived. But it’s the people in the buildings who are contributing to these savings because of their diligence and commitment.”
One of the unique characteristics of the Planet Blue building program is the active engagement of building occupants. While many universities and companies in general have made engineering changes to facilities to save energy, the U-M program involves the people who work and study in the buildings who are doing things to drive the savings. Simple actions, such as turning off lights, powering down computers, unplugging electronic device chargers when not in use and lowering thermostats, produce big results.
Another 30 buildings are scheduled for the program in CY 2011. For complete results by building, please visit the Planet Blue Operations website.