Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University

MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

Founded in 1831, Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college located in Middletown, CT. The University occupies a 316-acre campus, with 150 wood frame single family houses, 80 traditional academic buildings and 70 buildings used for maintenance, storage, multi-family homes for staff and offices. Weslyan’s student body of approximately 3,000 undergraduate and 200 graduate students are housed and educated on this campus.

CHALLENGE

Wesleyan had completed over a decade’s worth of phased comprehensive energy improvement projects which resulted in a 5% energy consumption reduction. In search of more significant savings, they sought an energy efficiency proposal that would help the University accomplish its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. All projects needed to be completed before students returned to school later that summer. 

SOLUTION

Despite this time constraint, ESC completed an energy audit and provided a proposal for prioritized lighting upgrades and controls projects at multiple buildings throughout campus, including Freeman Athletic Center, Hall Atwater Laboratory, Usdan University Center, Olin Memorial Library, Shanklin Laboratory and Boger Hall which houses the College of Letters, Art History Department and Career Center. In total, work included the replacement of approximately 8,000 fluorescent and incandescent fixtures to LEDs, as well as installing networked lighting controls in 6 high traffic and heavily utilized buildings. 

RESULTS

ESC’s lighting efficiency improvements were a success - the new lighting produced significant reduction in annual electrical usage and the financial savings that come with it. As a result, the University received an Eversource Energy incentive for nearly $550,000 upon completion of the project which helped mitigate investment costs.