Siemens Building Technologies Helps Monterey Peninsula College Cut Energy Use, Trim Operating Costs and Limit Greenhouse Gas Emi

Building system upgrades and retrofits put campus facilities on leaner, greener energy diet 


BUFFALO GROVE, Ill., Oct. 4  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Driving operating costs down, reducing energy consumption while increasing faculty and student comfort in the classroom may be a lot to put on one plate, but Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) will be able to add all of that to the menu with the help of Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., and its Energy and Environmental Solutions Group.

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The facility improvement measures are part of an overall performance-based solution slated for the MPC campus in Monterey, Calif. Once the facility improvements are completed, the community college is guaranteed to save the equivalent of more than $2.4 million in avoided annual energy costs over the 10-year life of the contract.

"Implementing this project with Siemens is an excellent way to stretch our bond dollars," says Administrative Services vice president, Joe Bissell. "We are able to implement many of the capital improvements needed on campus using the energy savings to pay for those improvements. This will also give us better overall control of the facility environment, which means better student, faculty and staff comfort, as well as a significant reduction in environmental emissions."

Facility-wide energy efficiency improvements-identified by a comprehensive campus-wide facility and systems audit-are being installed now and include new building automation systems and controls, HVAC mechanical upgrades, interior/exterior lighting upgrades, IT network management software, and vending machine controls. It's the tight integration of technologies and their smart operation which ultimately deliver such dramatic energy reductions.

"I'm glad to see the energy conservation projects starting in conjunction with the infrastructure improvements that we are now implementing as a result of the bond passed by our community," says MPC facilities director Steve Morgan. Infrastructure improvements, including sustainable roofs, double-pane insulated windows, waterless urinals, motion sensors, and sustainable roads, are all a part of what is planned for the various campus buildings. "We've encompassed recycling programs and storm water management plans in the process as well, and considering that the number of projects we worked on during summer 2007 was huge," explains Morgan, "the project will probably end up being the most active and large-scale period of construction MPC will see over the next decade."

With new systems operating as specified, energy savings for all facilities are anticipated to reach 1,636,765 kWh per year. According to Siemens Building Technologies' Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator, this will reduce emissions of CO2 by approximately 2.2 million pounds/year, take the equivalent of 336 passenger cars off the road, or preserve 1,287 acres of forest from deforestation.

As a leading provider of energy and environmental solutions, building controls, fire safety and security systems solutions, Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., makes buildings comfortable, safe, secure and less costly to operate. With U.S. headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Ill., Siemens Building Technologies employs 7,200 people and provides a full range of services and solutions from more than 100 locations coast-to-coast. Worldwide, the company has 28,000 employees and operates from more than 500 locations in 51 countries.

For more information on Siemens Building Technologies, visit: http://www.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies 

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DATASOURCE: Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.



CONTACT:  Steven E. Kuehn of Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.,

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Web site:  http://www.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies 

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