Conservation Slows Energy Rise

Continuing a downward trend since 2001, the latest UCSB Energy Report shows electrical power consumption for fiscal 2002-03 at just above 60 million kWh. This represents a 26 percent drop since the campus core usage peaked just below 85 million kWh in 1998, noted Jim Dewey, campus energy manager–and that is in spite of state-funded buildings added during this period.

Core natural gas usage has also plunged by roughly a third since the peak year of 1996, added Dewey, pointing up the successes Physical Facilities has had in retrofitting older buildings and encouraging conservation measures in gas and electricity. The energy report is available on the Web at <http://energy.ucsb.edu>.

However, both forms of energy have experienced dramatic increases in costs. Electricity in 2003 was 50 percent more per kWh than the 1996-01 period, resulting in a bill of nearly $5.9 million. Natural gas prices have been even more drastic, especially since a spike in 2000-01 that cost the campus over $2.7 million. This past year the bill was $1.9 million.

The "biggest challenge" for the current fiscal year, which began July 1, will be "the Engineering Science Building coming online," Dewey said. "This building will have the largest clean room on campus and will probably use more power than Engineering II (our highest energy-use building)."

Other big power consumers in the near future include the Marine Science Research Building and the Life Sciences Building. "Even with conservation our electrical demand will probably increase by 33 percent over the next two years," he estimated.

With the new UC budget not fully funding campus maintenance cost increases, the best news Dewey has had recently is that natural gas prices are due to drop about 40 percent, from about $1 a therm to 60 cents a therm. But the watchword is still "conservation."

"Conservation is always the short- and long-term answer to energy problems," he said.