By Diana Setterberg MSU NEWS SERVICE
BOZEMAN – Montana State University will spend up to $50.5 million for projects to improve energy efficiency and address deferred maintenance in campus buildings – beginning what will be one of the largest investments in sustainability in MSU history.
MSU officials say the projects will address deferred maintenance while creating more energy efficient buildings, saving the university an estimated $1 million in utility costs annually. The plan was approved by the Board of Regents in November.
The projects, which will be accomplished in phases over multiple years, make use of an energy performance contract. Such contracts differ from the typical process for public projects and are used only for services that reduce facility operating costs through energy conservation improvements.
Megan James, engineering and utilities director for MSU’s Facilities Management, said consolidating numerous projects under one large contract helps prevent costly, future maintenance issues.
“We’re able, in one fell swoop, to address many critical deferred maintenance and energy efficiency projects that would otherwise take years,” she said. “This significant financial commitment showcases the continued support from the administration to invest in the future of campus.”
The projects will be accomplished in partnership with McKinstry, a firm with expertise in sustainable facility design and operations, and in coordination with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. McKinstry, which is approved to provide services under energy performance contracts in Montana, will design, bid and oversee construction of the projects.
“When it comes to sustainability, every little bit counts,” said Kristin Blackler, director of MSU’s Office of Sustainability. “An energy performance contract like this is greater than the sum of its parts and is beyond the scope of what we could do with our own staff.”
It’s not the first time MSU has made use of energy performance contracts. Several years ago, Blackler said, MSU had another such contract with McKinstry for upgrades to auxiliary buildings, including on-campus residence halls where students live. She said students benefited tremendously – in more than one way.
“First, the energy savings were immediately noticeable in our campus steam plant, and the temperatures inside the residence halls were noticeably improved,” Blackler said. “McKinstry also hired students to work on these projects.”
This time around, she said, McKinstry has agreed to share its sustainability expertise with students in relevant classes and may hire student employees to work in the summers.
Under the new contract, about 2.5 million square feet of building space are scheduled for upgrades. They include:
- $9 million in energy efficient lighting upgrades for about 20 buildings.
- $20 million in building mechanical system upgrades in three buildings.
- $17 million in Heat Plant system upgrades.
- $1 million in plumbing fixture upgrades.
- $3.5 million in piping upgrades for geothermal well systems that store and share energy between buildings.
Work on the projects will begin this summer and continue for three to five years. MSU will pay for the work through a combination of maintenance funds and debt proceeds. James said the $1 million in annual energy savings will help pay off the debt.
Duke Elliott, resource conservation specialist for University Facilities Management, the unit at MSU that oversees the physical campus, said students and faculty are likely to notice the improvements in lighting, air quality and temperature control in academic buildings. “These projects are hitting the bulk of our academic buildings that haven’t recently seen improvements,” he said.
James said that given the demonstrated success of energy performance contracts previously, along with the anticipated outcomes of these projects, MSU intends to ask for future authorization for similar contracting to make improvements to more MSU buildings.
She added that, although reducing greenhouse gases is not a specific goal of the contract, the work will help MSU achieve one or more objectives of MSU’s Sustainability Framework, including campus carbon neutrality by 2040.
“MSU has always done its best to be a good steward of its facilities and resources so that we can provide the best physical environment possible for our students,” said John How, associate vice president of University Facilities Management. “The projects made possible by the energy performance contract will further that mission and create a more sustainable and energy efficient campus while also making needed repairs and upgrades to keep MSU shining for years to come.”
This new energy performance contract is just the latest in a long history of sustainability work at MSU. In addition to the above-mentioned Sustainability Framework, adopted in 2021, the university’s sustainability initiatives are led by its Office of Sustainability, which works with students, faculty, staff and community members to develop goals and sustainable practices on campus, such as sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, recycling and local food programs.
In particular, the university’s composting program, which is an ongoing partnership with the city of Bozeman, diverts more than a half million pounds of food waste from the landfill each year. The university’s recycling efforts, since the program was created in 2008, has diverted more than 7.5 million pounds of material from local landfills.
In 2023, MSU was recognized with a prestigious STARS Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. More than 900 institutions in 40 countries participate in the STARS program, which examines five areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.
The office also hosts an annual Sustainability Summit which draws hundreds of attendees to hear presentations on MSU’s Sustainability Framework, STARS and MSU’s approaches toward energy conservation and efficiency, Blackler said. In addition to campus sustainability tours, the summit highlights cutting edge, high-impact sustainability research by current MSU undergraduate and graduate students.
MSU has also undertaken large-scale institutional projects aimed squarely at energy efficiency. For example, all buildings constructed at MSU, such as the Student Wellness Center and the forthcoming Jones and Gianforte halls, must achieve at least a silver rating under the world-recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED, certification program. MSU’s American Indian Hall and Norm Asbjorson Hall are rated Platinum on the LEED scale, the highest rating possible, while MSU has multiple LEED Gold and Silver buildings.
In 2020, MSU was featured as a case study in energy efficiency strategies by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for its development of innovative and interconnected energy districts on campus. Buildings connected to these districts use technologies such as solar walls and heat pumps to regulate temperatures, transferring heat where it’s needed, even if that’s to another building or to storage in deep geothermal boreholes drilled into the earth for later use.
Building on the success of recent energy-efficiency improvements that have already saved MSU millions of dollars in reduced utility costs, the university also has partnered with design firm Cushing Terrell to provide engineering services related to future geothermal technology, heat pumps and the innovative energy districts that have earned MSU national recognition in order to optimize how new and existing buildings integrate with the university’s energy facilities.
