District Energy - 2010 Third Quarter

– and research in smart grid technology – allowing campus energy managers to track and eventually control energy supply and demand in real time. Monitoring all energy and distribution sources as well as energy demand, and modulating utility production to match system need, will enable wind, solar and hydropower to be more effectively utilized.

A Larger Vision, a Broader Mission

As New York state’s land-grant university, Cornell helps turn knowledge into practical actions and contributes to the economic prosperity of the public realm. The university’s programs in energy, environment and economic development involve more than 30 on-campus centers, 300 faculty and 60 state extension agents in initiatives at local, national and international levels. The Climate Action Plan itself was granted funding from NYSERDA so that the planning processes and tools created to develop it can be used by other institutions and municipalities. The practical answers that Cornell’s Climate Action Plan will yield on questions of environmental sustainability are indeed answers that, as President Skorton envisioned, will belong to us all.

Authors’ Note: The authors wish to thank Peter Strupp, director of communications, Affiliated Engineers, Inc., for his contributions to the writing of this article.

James R. Adams, Cornell University’s director of utilities since 2000, manages campus production and distribution of steam, chilled water, electricity and potable water. He participated actively in the development of the Climate Action Plan, leading the fuel mix and renewable ‘wedge’ and defining carbon offsetting activities on behalf of the university. In the energy industry since 1980, Adams currently serves on IDEA’s board of directors. He may be reached at jra4@cornell.edu.

Jerrold A. Schuett, PE, is infrastructure practice leader for Affiliated Engineers, Inc. He served as principal-in-charge and lead consultant for the fuel mix portion of Cornell’s Climate Action Plan. Actively involved in IDEA as a member and presenter on technical topics for nearly 20 years, Schuett has more than 30 years’ experience in engineering consulting at AEI. His email address is jschuett@aeieng.com.

Mike Walters, PE, LEED AP, is sustainability practice leader for Affiliated Engineers, Inc. He directed overall development of Cornell’s Climate Action Plan. His consulting projects have included work for the National Institutes of Health and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. A frequent industry speaker, Walters has taught the sustainable building design and LEED course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He can be contacted at mwalters@aeieng.com.

The Planning Process The year-long development of Cornell University’s Climate Action Plan, led by consultants Affiliated Engineers, Inc., proceeded in five stages:

1. Discovery – During this stage, the planning team established base case metrics against which all Climate Action Plan options would be assessed. These included estimates of campus growth, projected energy supply and demand by energy type, and costs associated with future greenhouse gas regulations.

2. Ideation – Next, methods and strategies for carbon reduction were solicited from the entire Cornell and Ithaca communities, ultimately generating 706 ideas that were grouped with like concepts and either advanced or identified for research, future consideration or elimination.

3. Analysis – In this phase, the 706 ideas were grouped according to 114 themes and were assessed relating to scale of implementation, carbon abatement potential, first cost, operating cost and qualitative review of environmental (beyond carbon), economic, social and institutional considerations (‘triple bottom line plus’). Actions advanced from analysis were considered together as an interrelated investment portfolio, and 19 actions were endorsed for the next stage.

4. Plan Creation – This stage was comprised of near-term actions for immediate implementation, recommended mid-term actions subject to periodic review and long-term opportunities that should be monitored and assessed over time.

5. Execution – The final stage, executing the plan, is now under way, consisting of feasibility studies, grant proposals and project development.

Cornell’s Climate Action Plan is not a static document, but a dynamic tool and an evolving initiative, in keeping with opportunities that will surely emerge with new technologies and changing cultural and economic circumstances over the next 40 years. Accordingly, the principle objectives of the plan are profiled, and their progress will be reported on Cornell’s dedicated Climate Action Plan Web site.