Clemson Academic Building Utility Use

Researchers:

Clemson University's 2007 Sustainability Action Plan set goals for the years 2020, 2025, and 2030. This research works in conjunction with Clemson University Facilities Utility Services (CUFUS) to take strides towards these goals. The academic buildings on campus are metered monthly for their utility use (electricity, steam, chilled water, water, sewer, and natural gas). The patterns for all of the academic building utility use for the 2017 calendar year were captured with the use of Tableau and published online (see below). This data was analyzed on an individual building basis, as well as by Clemson’s disciplinary colleges. Utility intensity (utility use per gross square foot) was projected onto a heat map within Tableau to visually see which buildings were the most intensive. The most intensive buildings were primarily buildings with scientific laboratories or buildings with a large square footage.

Additionally, based on a carbon footprint for Clemson undertaken by Raeanne Clabeaux, a Clemson and E3SA alumni, was used to calculate the carbon of each academic building’s operation phase, or utility use. The total carbon footprint for the academic buildings totaled 40,722 metric tons CO2-e. The largest flows attributing to the carbon footprint of all academic buildings were purchased electricity (Scope 2), steam generation (Scope 1), and electricity used at the chilled water plants on campus (Scope 2). These values accounted for 67%, 16%, and 11% of the total carbon footprint for the academic buildings.

The workbook is interactive and visualized the utility use distribution as well as carbon footprints in a myriad of maps and graphs. The usefulness and practicality of this workbook and research is an attempt to bring along the customer – Clemson students, faculty, and staff, as well as other departments at Clemson (Athletics, Housing, Dining, etc.) – and allow them to easily view their utility use and environmental impacts.