Minnesota State University at Moorhead

My reduction in the last calendar year of electricity usage was 13 percent, and that is especially remarkable because we added 43,000 square feet to our campus.”

 

— Minnesota State University

The Challenge

Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) wanted better control over how their HVAC equipment worked with room use across campus and to cut their associated labor costs. While the university’s room occupancy averages 12% daily, the lighting, cooling, and heating was on 13 hours per day — totalling a large, unnecessary expense. Furthermore, the HVAC control system required an average 15 clicks to make a single change — a time-consuming process then multiplied by 13,000 annual meeting reservations.

The Solution

Working with Streamside Solutions LLC and their Events2HVAC solution, the university was able to sync their EMS Software scheduling data with their various HVAC and building control systems. This allows MSUM to automatically control equipment based on scheduled room reservations.

The Result

The results are substantial. The university:

• Saves 45 to 55 cents per square foot — totaling $1 million in savings annually
• Saves 10 to 15 labor hours per week in HVAC and building control system management — freeing up time for other needed work across the campus