Sustainability Plan - University of Washington Tacoma

Sustainability
Step 2: Integrating Design to Reduce
Energy Use
One sustainable energy goal would be for the
campus to live within its “natural solar energy
budget.” Applying this concept to a campus
means that the campus would not use any
more energy, over the course of a year, than the
amount of energy provided by the sun. This is
illustrated in Figures 2.10 and 2.11.
Tacoma receives approximately 435 KBtu/SF/
year in direct solar radiation. If that energy was
converted directly into electricity at the typical
efficiency of today’s photovoltaic (PV) panels
(15% after conversion), they would produce
65 KBtu/SF/year of electricity. The current
campus buildings Energy Use Index (EUI) is
approximately 112 Kbtu/sf/yr and this master
plan recommends a weighted average EUI of
approximately 65 kbtu/sf/yr by the time full build
out is reached in 2040.
Btu
/ Sf / Yr
MWH/yr
500
400
300
200
100
0
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
435
65
Recommended
Incoming Solar Potential Energy Current Campus 2040 Campus
Radiation Produced by PV Avg EUI Avg EUI
250,000
112
65
Figure 2.10 | Campus Solar Budget in Btu
Spring 2009
50,000
0
37,500
15,000
45,000
Recommended
Incoming Solar Potential Energy Current Campus 2040 Campus
Radiation Produced by PV Energy Use Energy Use
Figure 2.11 | Campus Solar Budget in MWH
32 University of Washington Tacoma - Infrastructure Master Plan