Lakeland Community College is a public institution of higher education founded in 1967 as the first college in Ohio established by a vote of the people. The main campus facilities encompass 650,000 square feet of space and accommodate between 9,000 and 12,000 visitors daily. In 2007 the state of Ohio enacted House Bill 251, which mandates state institutions and agencies achieve energy and resource efficiency goals. For Lakeland Community College, this meant achieving a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption, for both on and off campus facilities, by 2014. A secondary goal is to reduce CO2 by 20 percent in
the same time frame.

Creating a Heating and Cooling Network

One significant solution to help Lakeland meet its energy efficiency goals was the creation of a single heating and cooling network for the entire campus. The heating and cooling plants scattered throughout the campus were centralized eliminating excess heating and cooling. Another recommendation was the expansion of a building automation system to allow for overall management of campus facilities, scheduling and weather management and to permit efficient integration of new energy sources as they develop. Additionally, a broad variety of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system upgrades, lighting retrofits, and building and facility improvements put Lakeland on a very aggressive schedule. Other elements of the project will be less apparent, but will nevertheless contribute a great deal to achieving the energy and resourceefficiency goals mandated by House Bill 251 and guaranteed by the Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) Siemens has with the school.

These measures will improve Lakeland’s energy efficiency by 20 percent to 30 percent and reduce annual energy costs by more than $500,000.

“Lakeland’s cost of energy is $1.7 million, which represents 3 percent of our budget. Our comprehensive energy plan will significantly reduce our energy costs and also reduce our carbon dioxide footprint by 38 percent. That’s about 5,300 metric tons, or more than a third of its current emissions measured at 14,000 tons annually,” says Michael Mayher, vice president for administrative services and treasurer.

It’s About the Learning

Along with the financial and environmental benefits of the ESPC, Siemens, through its Building Education program, is investigating the possibility of a unique education initiative. The initiative would assist Lakeland Community College in providing students with opportunities that could lead to careers in energy-related fields, including environmental and energy engineering, as well as twenty-first century green technician jobs. Students would be learning about green initiatives in a truly energy-efficient and green environment on the updated campus.

“Lakeland is committed to reducing our own impact on the environment. We also hope to be a role model for our students and employees, as well as for our county, state, and nation,” says Lakeland President Dr. Morris W. Beverage, Jr.