The Observer, December 2, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12
Case tries to conserve energy, reduce costs
It takes a lot of energy to fuel a powerful learning environment, and Case is starting to feel the burn. As electricity, oil, and natural gas prices continue to rise, Case administrators are working to minimize the school's operating costs, which have been increasing steadily. Within the next 12 months, Case's energy expenses could double.
According to an e-mail sent by Provost John Anderson to faculty and students, Case has spent millions of dollars over the last decade on energy-efficient technology and building systems. The most recent example is The Village at 115, where highly-insulated apartments, motion-sensitive lights, an innovative heating system, and other features may make it one of a growing number of buildings in Ohio to be certified by the Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design program.
Case has also created an Energy Conservation Committee, composed of faculty, staff, and students, which identifies and evaluates energy conservation opportunities on campus. In addition, a team of energy consultants will have completed a campus-wide audit by Jan. 31, 2006. With this information, the administration hopes to alter facilities operations, trimming unnecessary energy expense.
Some small steps towards conservation have already been taken, as heat, ventilation, and lighting were lowered in buildings across campus during Thanks-giving break to reduce steam and electricity consumption.
"It's good that they [the administration] are starting to get their act together, but I think we should spend less time on all these meetings about meetings to talk about ways to get things done and actually do something," Case graduate student Derek Smith said.
Case's leaders are also calling on individuals to contribute to this effort. This month, Anderson asked students and faculty to turn off unneeded lights, use campus recycling bins, reduce water usage, and eliminate energy-consuming devices like space heaters. Case's "Energy Matters" website lists dozens of ways for people to minimize energy use at home and at the office. The website also has a place for community members to submit their own conservation ideas.
Case administrators are not the only ones struggling with rising energy costs. Gas prices have been rising throughout the country due to a tight crude oil supply and an increasing global demand, particularly from China and the US. Hurricane Katrina also contributed to the current fuel shortage, damaging pipelines and shutting down almost all of the Gulf's oil and natural gas production facilities.
In response to the shortage, the U.S. is releasing 30 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), tapped only once before during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The SPR is stored in huge underground salt caverns off the Gulf coast, and according to the Energy Information Administration currently holds 685 million barrels, making it the world's largest supply of emergency crude oil.
If the energy shortage intensifies, and US fuel production continues to decrease, the nation will have to adjust its lifestyle by decreasing consumption and expanding use of alternative energy sources such as hydrogen, solar, and wind power. For more information, go to www.energy.gov and www.case.edu/news/energy.
