University of Missouri-Columbia
ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year

Partner Since 1991

In 1991, the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU), committed to reducing energy consumption and improving the energy efficiency of all campus buildings. The University continues to meet the goal it set for itself — to cut energy use by one percent every year through 2010. The University now saves over $2.2 million annually, a reduction of 12.5 percent, and the success of the program continues to grow. To date, over 98 percent of the exterior lighting on campus has been upgraded to more efficient high- pressure sodium. Eighty-five percent of the interior lighting, approximately 4.7 million square feet, has been upgraded to energy-efficient T-8 lighting with electronic ballasts. These upgrades alone save the university $900,000 a year and reduce electrical consumption by nearly 13 million kWh annually. Through ENERGY STAR, MU has converted seven buildings from energy-inefficient, dual duct systems to variable-volume systems and installed a fully integrated, campus-wide energy management control system (EMCS). The EMCS now serves over 80 percent of campus space. The system allows sophisticated control of lighting and HVAC equipment, making new and innovative energy savings strategies possible.

The University of Missouri-Columbia’s dedication to energy performance goes beyond lighting retrofits and HVAC conversions. The design of all new facilities and renovations is reviewed for conformance with MU’s strict energy policies. These policies have been particularly important during the construction boom of the past few years. For example, over 102 new laboratory fume hoods have been installed and 123 older fume hoods renovated to improve airflow. Development of an energy policy to ensure that variable-volume hoods were installed saves the University an estimated $800,000 in energy costs annually.

In March 2001, University of Missouri-Columbia received an ENERGY STAR Award for its success in reducing energy waste. In 2000, MU became the first institution of higher education to receive the ENERGY STAR label for buildings. The University was honored as an ENERGY STAR BuildingsSM Partner of the Year in 1997 and was one of the first ENERGY STAR Buildings partners in 1995. MU joined Green Lights in 1994 and was named Green Lights Partner of the Year in 1995.