NICEVILLE — Staff members at Northwest Florida State College are achieving big savings with energy-efficient behavior — and now those good habits are earning national recognition.
Northwest Florida State College has achieved a 24 percent cost savings totaling $1,120,173 in 19 months since forming a strategic alliance with Cenergistic, a national energy conservation company, which presented the organization with its Environmental Excellence Award on Feb. 22.
A primary benefit of the program is that all costs come out of the existing utility budget, with savings projected to more than pay for the program, as they have done for the college. Additional savings can be redirected to other parts of the budget.
The conservation program examines all areas of the college's energy use. Cenergistic’s conservation experts work closely with NWFSC Energy Specialist Daniel Fife, training him to analyze all energy use throughout the organization’s systems, and to ensure that energy is used as efficiently as possible, following Cenergistic’s energy management program. The categories he oversees are natural gas and electricity, water and sewer, HVAC systems, Energy Management Systems and mechanical systems, behavior modification, communications, grounds care, data analysis, information systems management, organization development, construction management, human resources, utility rate structures, and many other areas of specialization that positively impact energy conservation.
The program delivers an environmental benefit from a reduced carbon footprint. Energy not used prevents the emission of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
According to EPA/EGrid figures, in the first 19 months of the program, Northwest Florida State College saved 51,497 MMBTU, the equivalent of 5,355 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions being prevented, 1,116 cars removed from the road, or 137,316 pine trees grown for 10 years.
Fife tracks energy consumption — including electricity, water, sewer, natural gas and fuel oil — using energy-accounting software. He compares current energy use to a baseline period and calculates the amount of energy that would have been used had conservation and management practices not been implemented. By tracking consumption and analyzing energy use, he can quickly identify and correct areas that need immediate attention.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Northwest Florida State College just got recognized for saving a lot in energy costs