Higher Education Newsletter: May 2004

The University of Maine Saves with Water Coolers

In the fall of 2002, the University of Maine (UMaine) solicited bids for vendors to supply water coolers for its campus. In the solicitation, UMaine’s Purchasing Agent, Anne-Marie Nadeau, stated a preference for energy-efficient ENERGY STAR qualified units. UMaine’s purchasing policy requires that all bids ask for information on the availability of ENERGY STAR qualified products, and show a preference for them if available.

Ms. Nadeau researched available qualified water coolers models, looked up product benefits and features, and learned about the products’ energy and dollar savings. ENERGY STAR qualified water coolers need only about half of the energy of conventional units. With ENERGY STAR qualified hot and cold water coolers, an organization can save as much as $47 per year per unit on its annual energy bills. For “cook and cold” (i.e. warm and cold water) qualified models, savings are up to $6 per year on each unit.

After receiving a number of bids from bottled water distributors, UMaine selected the distributor offering ENERGY STAR qualified water coolers. “We received five bids and [contract winner] Mount Desert was the only vendor to provide ENERGY STAR qualified bottled water coolers,” explains Ms. Nadeau. “It was a determining factor for us in using them.” She had calculated that the energy savings the university would gain by using qualified models would far surpass any premium per bottle they would pay by using Mount Desert Spring Water. Current savings from using ENERGY STAR qualified models for UMaine are estimated to be close to $3,000 per year.

For more information, visit the ENERGY STAR purchasing web site, or contact David Shiller, ENERGY STAR Products Manager, at (202) 343-9397 or Shiller.David@epa.gov.

New Education Sector National Manager

Melissa Payne is leaving ENERGY STAR on May 28th, and is moving to another EPA position in Research Triangle Park, NC. Katy Hatcher at hatcher.caterina@epa.gov and (202) 343-9676, will be the new contact for the higher education sector. And of course, you can still contact Michelle Salisbury, EPA contractor, at msalisbury@cadmusgroup.com or (617) 673-7153.

Portfolio Manager Import Template for Residence Halls

To help you rate the energy performance of your school’s residence halls, EPA has designed the attached data import template for colleges and universities with ten or more residence halls. This template is an easy way to upload large sets of building data into EPA’s Portfolio Manager software. Once the data is uploaded to Portfolio Manager, you can add monthly energy updates. If you have any questions, please contact Katy Hatcher at hatcher.caterina@epa.gov or Michelle Salisbury at msalisbury@cadmusgroup.com.