Energy & Utilities Department Overview

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The Energy & Utilities Department provides efficient, cost effective, consistent, and reliable energy, utilities, and environmental programs in support of the University’s educational, research, health care, and public service mission.

The mission of the department is accomplished with appreciation for renewable and recoverable resources, dedication to environmental stewardship, and pride in the historical and cultural legacy of the facilities and Grounds.

To that end, the department strives for excellence in all aspects of resource stewardship at the University. Its programs encompass energy management, water conservation, and resource recovery through material reclamation, recycling and reuse. A key goal is to optimize resource utilization while minimizing the environmental impact of providing services.

For more information please contact , P.E.

Divisions and Programs

Energy Management Program

The department has University-wide responsibility for minimizing energy use and for implementing the energy management program. The program seeks to both achieve energy savings, and minimize the environmental impact of providing services.

For more information contact , P.E., CEM, at (434) 982-5419 or visit the Energy Programs Web site.

Recycling

The Division of Recycling is responsible for all recycling efforts at the University, helping to ensure that opportunities for material-based conservation and reclamation are maximized. The division also manages waste collection efforts at the University. The division is actively involved in promoting conservation efforts throughout the University community and expanding recycling efforts.

Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle!

For more information contact at (434) 982-5438 or visit the Recycling Web site.

Systems Control

The Systems Control Center (SCC) remotely monitors building fire alarm, security, and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems throughout the University. The center also controls and maintains, to a large extent, the electronic controls for the HVAC systems that it monitors. The center is staffed 24 hours a day and additionally serves as the University's work reception desk and dispatch center for after hours emergencies.

For more information contact , Utility Systems Analyst (434) 982-5048.

Heating

The University of Virginia generates a majority of its steam and hot water requirements at its Main Heating Plant and North Grounds Heating Plant. Steam and medium temperature hot water are then distributed through networks of underground distribution piping to most facilities in the main campus and the North Grounds precinct. Central heating and distribution systems have significant economic, operating, and maintenance advantages over individual building systems. The University of Virginia has capitalized on these advantages and continues to maintain and improve these systems.

For more information contact , Manager (434) 924-3090.

Cooling

Regional chilled water plants provide a significant portion of the total cooling capacity for buildings at the University of Virginia. This consolidated approach, as with Utilities' heating plants, has many long term operational, maintenance, and economic advantages over more modular approaches. The chilled water produced at the six major plants is distributed through underground piping to various University facilities.

For more information contact , Superintendent (434) 924-1893.

Power Distribution Systems

The University purchases all of its electricity power from external power generation, transmission, and distribution companies. However, the Univeristy owns, operates, and maintains its own substation switchgear and underground electrical distribution systems, which results in a significantly lower electric rate for the University. All four primary substations have been equipped with dual service from one of the external power suppliers which increases reliability of power.

For more information contact , Superintendent (434) 982-4641.

Utilities Distribution Systems

The piping distribution division maintains distribution piping throughout the University for heating (steam/condensate, medium temperature hot water), cooling (chilled water), potable water, sanitary sewer, storm water systems, and University-owned natural gas lines.

For more information contact , Superintendent (434) 982-5414.

Mapping

The geographical information system (GIS) office maintains utility drawings and maps and links AutoCAD drawings (spatial data) that are in electronic format to organizational information (relational data) contained in databases.

For more information contact , GIS Office Manager (434) 982-5051.

Billing and Metering

The Utilities Department's metering, billing, and accounting systems are very complex and are comprised of, on the metering side, independent building meters, aggregate meters and sub-meters, allocations, engineerging calculations, and, on the programmatic side, Microsoft SQL Server databases and Microsoft Visual Basic programming.

For more information contact , Superintendent (434) 982-5825 or Debbie Thacker, Budget Analyst (434) 982-4632.