Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Energy Infrastructure Upgrade to Save Georgia Tech $11.7M

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/26/22

Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Ga., recently partnered with facility energy solutions provider ABM Industries to upgrade campus STEM labs—and save about $11.7 million across ten years in the process.

The university discovered that about 30 percent of campus energy use came from 5 percent of its square footage. After identifying that campus lab spaces were consuming such a high proportion of energy, it set about looking for ways to cut lab space energy cost, reduce its carbon footprint and provide safe and reliable working environments.

According to a news release, an energy savings performance contract with ABM led to the decision to upgrade fume hood controls for about 140 lab spaces around campus with no upfront cost. During the 2020 fiscal year, the project reduced energy consumption in two campus buildings—the ES&T and UA Whitaker science buildings—by 73.7 percent and 52.7 percent, respectively. It also surpassed the guaranteed utility cost savings with an additional reduction of $173,167.

The fume hoods and snorkels have new safety controls that help improve the cost-effectiveness of proper ventilation and increase reliability. On-site technicians also now receive real-time data that allows them to respond to performance issues that could decrease airflow or result in potentially expensive downtime. The collective set of data also allows for ease of preventative maintenance to optimize performance.

Georgia Tech Energy Infrastructure Upgrade

The installation also meant coordinating with research teams around campus to minimize disruption to millions of dollars’ worth of ongoing research project. ABM coordinated with Georgia Tech leadership, Environmental Health and Safety, lab safety officers and research teams to complete the necessary work in each given lab space in less than a week.

“This project required a high level of coordination among a wide range of stakeholders to balance safety, functionality and efficiency while conforming to a very tight design and construction schedule,” said Greg Spiro, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Design and Construction at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “The ABM team completed construction ahead of schedule and the project has helped reduce energy usage.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.