The University of Iowa, Long at the forefront of utility system innovation, has been on a journey since the 1990s to improve on-campus energy efficiency. Programs have evolved as goals have changed and as better technology has become available. Today, as is the case on most university campuses, decarbonization is the main driver of energy management programs. Meanwhile, deferred maintenance backlogs make up the bulk of building-funding requests. Iowa is working on both fronts by collaborating across traditionally segregated organizational boundaries. It is clear that the integration of energy production and energy efficiency is critical and that accurate data, powerful analysis and strong teamwork lie at the heart of that integration. The university, located in Iowa City, has nearly 20 million square feet of building space on a campus of almost 1,900 acres. Annual energy use exceeds 4,000,000 MMBtu per year, which gives ample room for energy system work. The campus has a significant research component and a world-class teaching and medicaL research hospital with 866 beds, and the university plans to expand medical-building square footage over the coming decade both on and off campus. Medical activity requires a high level of communication and a sophisticated utility and billing system, especially when new energy efficiency programs are being implemented. How Iowa is meeting the challenge stems from its history of energy-management success over the past decade.
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